GIFT  OF 
rs.    William  H.   I.ills 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


k 


A 
C  O  M  P  A  R  I  S  O  N 

OF        THE 

INSTITUTIONS  OF  MOSES 

AV  I  T  H       THOSE        Of 

THE      HINDOOS 

AND 

OTHER    ANCIENT     NATIONS; 

\V  I   T  II 

KS   on    MR.   DUPUIS'S    ORIGIN    of 'all 
RELIGION 

The  LAWS    and  INSTITUTION.,  ol   MOSES 
MKTHODI  z* 

A    N'     1) 

An  ADDST.SS  to   the   J;:ws  on  the  prefent  flate  of  -the 
WORLD  and  the  PROPHECIES  rcl.iting  to  it. 


3v  JOSEPH  PRIESTLEY,  L.L.D.F.R.S. 

Tr  id  in  a  fo:-.:  .-fin 

Horat*. 


NORTHUMBERLAND  : 

PRINTED  FJR  THF  AUTHOR.  BY  A  1 


....  id  fen* 

imcnts 


T     H    Jl 


DEDICATION, 


TO    HIS    GRACE 


T   H    Z 


DUKE    OF    GRAFTON. 

MY   LORD, 

T  TAKE  the  liberty  to  dedicate  this  work  to  your 
Grace,  not  fo  much  as  to  one  of  the  mojl  rcfpett- 
able  of  the  Engli/h  nobility,  or  one  -whom  I  honour 
for  his  general  maxims  and  conduct  in  the  political 
world,  as  for  having,  in  my  opinion,  done  yourf elf 
much  greater  honour  by  ycur  attachment  to  the  caufe 
of  Chrijlianity,  in  an  age  in  which  many  who  occupy 
a  diftinguiflied  rank  in  life  pay  little  attention  to  it, 
in  which  many  openly  abandon  the  profejfion  of  it, 
and  in  which  many  ofthofe  who  prof efs  tkcir  belief  cf 
it  appear  (if  we  may  judge  of  men's  feelings  and  fen- 

timcnts 


iv  D  E  D  I  C  A  T  I  O  N. 

timentsby  their  conduct)  to  have  no  juft  fenfe  of  its 
real  value. 

Not  to  Is  afhamed  of  Chrift  in  fuck  circumjlances 
asthef?,  is  nofmall  merit,  tho  in  thofe  -who    derive 
emolument  from  the  prof  ejjion,  or  whofe  connections  in 
life  lay  them  under  no  great  temptation  to  infidelity, 
it  is  little  or  none.     It  is  our  fujfering  in  the  caufe9 
in  whi$h  the  lofs  of  general  ejlimatmi  is  no  inconflder- 
able  article,  that  is  the  brft  proof  of  our  fincerity,  and 
of  cur  title  to  be  acknowledged  ly  our  Lard  and  ^af- 
ter as  his  good  and  faithful  fervants,  when  he  /hall 
come  to  receive  the  kingdom  that  is  dcjlinedfor  him 
and  his  true  difciples. 

In  that  day,  which  I  am  wiWng  to  think  is  now  at 
no  great  diftancc,  to  have  given  any  countenance  to 
thofe  who  have  laboured  to  promote  the  caufe  of  Chfif- 
tian  truth,  and  efpecially  fuch  as  are  expofed  tofomc 
degree  of  odium  on  that  account,  will  be  conjideredas 
having  bejlowed favours  on  difciples  in  the  name 
of  difciples,  and  will  not  be  without  its  reward. 

That  your  Grace's  very  important  fervices  to  the 
caufe  of  Chrijlwi  literature,  and  Chnjlian  truth, 

may 


DEDICATION.  v 

may  have  all  thefuccefs  to  which  they  are  intitkd,   is 
thefincere  wiJJi  and  prayer  of, 

My  Lord, 

Your  Graces  mojl  obedient 
humble  Servant, 

J.  PRIESTLEY. 
NORTHUMBERLAND,   JVbv,  i,  1799. 


THE 

PREFACE. 

T  T  has  long  appeared  to  me  that  a  fair  com- 
-*•  parifon  of  the  ancient  heathen  religions  with  the 
fyftem  of  revelation  would  contribute  in  an  emi- 
nent degree  to  eftablifh  the  evidences  of  the  latter. 
Its  fupcriority  in  fentiment  and  practice  to  any 
thing  that  the  mod  enlightened  of  mankind  have 
ever  devifed  is  fo  great,  that  it  cannot  be  rationally 
accounted  for,  but  by  fuppofing  it  to  have  had  a 
truly  divine  origion. 

On  this  account  I  gave  a  general  view  of  the 
ancient  heathen  religions,  and  of  their  philofophy 
as  far  as  it  was  connected  with  religion,  in  the  firft 
volume  of  my  Difcourfcs  delivered  at  Philadelphia, 
and  a  more  detailed  account  of  Mahometanifm, 
and  the  circumftances  attending  its  propagation-, 
in  the  fecond  volume.  I  then  promifed  to  draw 
out  a  comparifon  oftheinflitutions  of  the  Hindoos, 
and  thofe  of  other  ancient  nations,  that  have  been 
moft  admired  for  their  early  civilization  and  fcience, 
with  thofe  of  Mofcs,  with  which  they  were  cotem- 
porary.  This  promife  I  have  endeavoured  to  dif- 
charge  in  the  prefent  performance,  in  which  I 
have  made  the  befl  ufe  that  I  could  of  the  ample 

materials 


viii  PREFACE. 

materials  with  xvhich  we  are  now  provided  for  the 
purpofe. 

With  thefe  I  have  been  chiefly  furnifhed  by  the 
friendfhip  of  Dr.  Andrew  Rofs,  lately  of  Philadel- 
phia, but  now  returned  to  his  native  country,  Scot- 
;.  He  fhewed  much  zeal  in  promoting  Uy 
undertaking ;  and  I  think  it  a  circumftance  of 
fome  weight  even  in  the  argument,  that  a  perfon 
who  has  feen  fo  much  of  the  world  as  he  has  done, 
and  wfao  is  fo  well  acquainted  with  the  principles 

.  effects  of  religion  in  all  parts  of  the  Eaft,  is 
finccrely  attached  to  ChriRianity.  Miferably  as 
this  religion  is  corrupted  in  the  Turkiih  dominions, 
he  does  not  hefitate  to  declare  that  the  Chriftians 
are  a  better  people  than  the  Mahometans,  or  the 
Hincfpos,  much  as  many  unbelievers  affect  at  leafl 
to  boaflof  them,  with  a  view  to  difparage  Chrifli- 


I  have  not,  however,  in  this  work  confined  tny- 
fclf  to  the  religion  of  the  Hindoos,  but  have  given 
the  bed  account  that  I  have  been  able  to  coll  eel:  of 
-the  general  outline  of  the  religion  of  the  Egyptians, 
and  that  of  other  ancient  nations  of  which  we  have 
any  certain  knowledge.  And  as  general  principles 
and  cufloms  continue  long^unchanged,  efpecially 
in  the  Eaft,  there  cannot  be  any  doubt  but  that  we 
are  fufficicntly  well  acquainted  with  every  thing  of 
much  confcquence  with  the  refpecl:  to  the  (late  of 

religion 


PREFACE.  ix 

religion  in  the  time  of  Mofes,  and  from  the  very 
commencement  of  polytaeifm  afl  I  irlohi  ry.  And 
to  every  thing  relating  to  this  tubjeft  it  •>  all 

the  friends  of  revelation  to  give  the  clofeft  attention. 
Judging  of  others   by  myfclf,   I  can  afTurc  tnem 
that  the  comparifon    will  perpetually  fuggefl   to 
th-m  the  mofl  lively  fentiments  of  gratitude  to  the 
fovereign  difpofer  of  all  things,  that  that  they  were 
born  in  a  Chriflian  country,  and   never  had  their 
minds  bewildered,  and  debafed.  by  the  miferable 
fuperflition    of  any    fyftem  of  heathenifm,    or  of 
Mahometanifm .     The  religion  of  the  moft  enlight- 
ened of  the  heathens  was  always  moft  abfurd  and 
defpicable,  while  that  of  revelation  was  from   the 
beginning  truly  rational  and  refpeftable,    and  as 
favourable  to  every  virtue,  as  the  other  was  to  va- 
rious kinds  of  vice. 

Having  compared  the  inftittitions  of  Mofes  with 
thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  and  of  other  ancient  nations, 
it  feemed  not  improper  to  add  fome  remarks  on  tbe 
late  elaborate  work  of  Mr.  Dupuis,  on  ihe  origin  of  all 
religions.  That  I  have  combated  his  principles  with 
fuccefs  is  no  great  caufe  of  boafting.  It  had,  in- 
deed, been  done  before  by  Mr.  Eftlin  of  Brif- 
tol  in  England,  in  his  Difcourfc  on  the  nature  and 
caufes  of  Athcifm,  which,  together  with  another 
excellent  and  well  written  tracl  of  his  on  the  evi- 
dences 


x  PREFACE. 

deuces  of  revealed  religion,  (in  which  he  takes  parti- 
cular notice  of  Mr.  Paine*  Age  of  ReafonJ  I  take 
this  opportunity  of  recommending  to  my  readers. 
I  will  add  that  I  am  not  a  little  proud  of  having 
had  inch  a  pupil,  fo  judicious  an  advocate  for 
Ciii  ;(lian  (ruth,  in  an  age  in  which  the  faicination 
of  worldly  purfuits  has  withdrawn  fo  many  from 
it. 

An  Addrefs  to  the  Jews  feemed  not   improper 
to  be  fubjoined  to  a  defence  of  their  religion  ;  and 
the  prefent   moft  extraordinary   ftate  of  things   in 
the  political  world  led  me  to  think   there  might  be 
a  ftill  greater  propriety  in  this,  confidering  the  great 
interefl  that,  according  to  the  prophecies  of  fcrip- 
ture,  they  have  fn  it.      If  my  mind  be  thought  to 
have  been  too  ftrongly  imprefTed  by  prefent  appear- 
ances, and  that  I  look  (boner  than  we  are  authoriz- 
ed ^o  do  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies  which 
have  been  the  fubjecl;  of  fo  much  difcuffion  by  Jews 
and  Chrifiians,  and  my  apprehenfions  appear  to  be 
ill  founded,  I  (hall  only  (hare  the  fate  of  many  learn- 
ed and  worthy  men  who  have  gone  before  me.      In 
this  publication  little  will  be  found  more  than  I  ad- 
vanced in  my  Fajt  Sermon  for  the  year  1794,  which 
has  been  reprinted  in  this  country,  tho'  in  the  pro- 
grcfs  of  the  war  in  Europe  Come  events  have  taken 
place  exceedingly  favourable  to  the  apprehenfions 
I  then  expreffed.  As 


PREFACE.  xi 

As  I  wifhed  to  quote  all  my  authorities  with  as 
much  exaftnefs  as  poflible,  I  have  feldom  depart- 
ed from  each  writer's  mode  of  fpelling  Hindoo 
words  ;  and  in  this  rcfpect  they  differ  exceedingly 
from  each  other.  But  in  order  to  remedy  this  in- 
convenience, I  mail  give  a  lift  of fynonyms,  with 
the  different  names  of  the  fame  Hindoo  deities. 
Alfo,  as  I  often  abridge  the  titles  of  fome  of  the 
books  that  I  quote,  I  fh;i  11  give  then  more  at  length, 
that  the  lefs  learned  reader  may  be  under  no  miftake 
with  refpecl:  to  them. 

It  was  my  intention  at  one  time,  inftead  of  the 
mere. titles  of  the  methodical  arrangement  of  the  laws 
and  inftitutions  of  Mofcs,  with  references  to  the  pla- 
ces in  which  they  may  be  found,  to  have  printed 
the  whole  at  full  length,  and  with  notes.  But  as 
this  would  have  made  another  volume,  about  as 
large  as  the  prefent,  I  was  deterred  by  the  confi- 
deration  of  the  expcnce  of  printing  it.  The  Notes 
that  I  had  prepared  will  be  found  among  thofc 
which  I  have  drawn  up  on  all  the  looks  of  fcrip- 
turc,  which  is  a  work  of  confiderable  extent,  and 
will  be  at  the  fervice  of  my  friends  and  the  public 
whenever  it  fhall  be  called  for. 

This  is  alfo  the  fituation  of  my  Church  Hijlory, 
which  I  have  now  brought  down  to  the  prefent 

time?, 


xii  PREFACE. 

times,  and  which  will  make  about  five  fuch  vo- 
lumes as  the  two  that  are  already  printed.  Hav- 
ing no  other  works  of  much  confluence  in  view, 
and  being  now  too  far  advanced  in  life  to  under- 
take any  thing  very  rJSew,  I  mall  keep  giving  my 
time  to  the  improvement  of  thefe  two ;  and  when- 
ever I  meet  with  fufficient  encouragement  they 
mall  be  printed.  I  do  not  mean  profit  (for  I  fhall 
chearfully  give  my  time  and  labour  to  what  I  think 
to  be  calculated  to  ferve  the  caufe  of  truth  and  vir- 
tue) but  fuch  afiftancc  as  will  enable  me  to  print 
the  works  without  more  expence  to  myfelf  than  I 
can  conveniently  afford. 

I  have  encouragement  enough  to  fend  my 
works  to  be  printed  irj^England.  But  befides  the 
riik  of  fending  rnanufcripts  to  fuch  a  diftance,  at 
fuch  a  time  as  this,  I  could  not  be  fatisfied  with- 
out the  power  of  correcting  the  prefs  myfelf.  I 
muft,  therefore,  wait  for  a  more  promifing  ftate  of 
things,  here  or  in  Europe  ;  believing,  in  the 
meantime,  that  whatever  mall  appear  to  be  the 
order  of  providence,  tho'  it  mould  be  the  total 
f  upprefiion  of  all  my  labours,  as  it  was  of  many 
of  them  at  the  riots  in  Birmingham,  it  will  not 
be  a  fubjecl;  of  juft  complaint.  Ourfelves,  and  all 
our  labours,  are  at  the  difpofal  of  the  great  Being 
who  made  us,  and  who  has  endued  us  with  what- 
ever 


PREFACE.  xiii 

ever  powers  we  are  poflefled  of.  A  diligent  and 
well  intended  application  of  them  is  all  that  we 
can  command,  and  therefore  all  that  will  be  re- 
quired of  us. 

As  before  the  riots  in  Birmingham  I  was  engag- 
ed with  fome  friends  in  a  new  tr (inflation  of  the 
fcripturcs,  and  had  nearly  finimed  the  part  that  I 
had  undertaken,  which  was  the  Hagiographa,  and 
which  was  deflroyed  at  that  time,  I  mail  here  pub- 
lifh  the  Plan  which  I  drew  of  that  undertaking. 
If  there  be  any  merit  in  it,  it  may  be  refumed  by 
others  in  more  favourable  circumflances. 

Since  thus  much  of  this  Preface  was  written  I  have 
met  with  a  work  of  Mr.  Robifon's,  iniitltd  Proof s  of 
a  Confpiracy  againft  all  the  Religions  and  Governments 
of  Europe,  carried  on  in  thefecrct  Meetings  of  Free 
Mafonsjlliiminati,  and  readingSocieties.  In  this  work 
I  am  charged,  p.  354  with  "  preaching  the  deteft- 
able  dodhines  of  illuminatifm/'  which  he  defcribes 
as  "  fubverfive  of  all  religion,  all  morality,  and  all 
regular  government/'  He  fays,  p.  355,  that  "  I 
have  given  the  mod  promising  fpccimens  of  my  do- 
cility in  the  pinciples  of  illuminatifm,  and  have  al- 
ready paffed  thro'  feveral  degrees  of  initiation. 
From  my  do6trine  of  materialifm/'  he  fays,  p. 
358,  <:  there  is  but  a  ftep  to  the  atheifm  of  'Dide- 
rot 


xiv  PREFACE. 

rot  and  Condorcet;"  and  p.  355,  "I  have  been 
preparing  the  minds  of  my  readers  for  atheifm  by 
my  theory  of  the  mind,  and  my  commentary  on 
the  unmeaning  jargon  of  Dr.  Hartley." 

I  rejoice  in  having  my  name  connected  with 
that  of  fo  great  and  excellent  a  man,  a  friend  of 
Chriftianity,  piety,  and  virtue,  if  ever  there  was 
one ;  and  who  has  written  infinitely  more  to  the 
purpofe  in  their  defence  than  Mr.  Robifon.  Ad- 
mitting the  do6lrine  of  vibrations  (on  which  he 
might  have  Teen  that  neither  Dr.  Hartley  nor  my- 
felf  lay  any  ftrefs)  or  that  any  other  hypothecs  con- 
cerning the  nature  of  intelligence,  to  be  ill  fqunded, 
do  we  deny  thai  man  is  poffefled  of  intelligence  ? 
Do  we  deny  that  there  is  a  fupreme  intelligence, 
that  there  is  a  righteous  moral  government  of  the 
world,  and  that  men  will  be  rewarded  for  their  vir- 
tues, and  punimed  for  their  vices,  in  a  future  ftate  ? 
To  advance  iolid  arguments  in  proof  of  thofe  great 
doctrines,  the  foundation  of  all  rejigion  and  morali- 
ty, which  is  the  obje£l  of  Dr.  Hartley's  work,  and 
of  many  of  mine,  is,  furely,  a  better  evidence  of  our 
fincerity  than  mere  declamation,  or  than  the  de- 
teclion  of  focieties  ho  Mile  to  religion  and  govern- 
ment ;  tho*  I  readily  allow  Mr.  Robifon  to  have 
much  merit  on  this  account. 


He 


PREFACE.  xv 

He  has  given  me  much  information  on  a  fub- 
jeft  of  which  I  am  wholly  ignorant,  having  never 
been  a  free  mafon,  a  member  of  any  fecret  fociety, 
or  of  any  political  fociety  whatever.  I  have  no 
fecrets.  I  write  for  the  public  at  large,  and  my 
writings  are  open  to  examination,  and  of  courfe  to 
mifreprefentation,  and  to  fuch  abufe  as  Mr.  Robi- 
fon  and  many  others  have  poured  upon  them. 
But  the  time  is  coming  that  will  try  every  mans 
'work,  and  every  man's  thoughts.  With  refpeft  to 
myfelf,  that  time  cannot  be  very  diftant;  and  I 
hope  I  may  fay  without  fubjecling  myfelf  to  any 
harfh  cenfure,  that,  after  a  life  of  much  adivity, 
and  many  trials,  I  do  not  wifh  myfelf  any  farther 
from  that  time  than  I  am. 

Becaufe,  writing  foon  after  the  French  revolu- 
tion, and  while  the  French  king  was  living,  I  au- 
gured well  of  it,  Mr.  Robifon  plainly  enough  in- 
finuates  that  I  am  an  enemy  to  all  good  govern- 
ment, and  wifh  to  introduce  univerfal  anarchy,  and 
licentioufnefs.  But  is  this  candid,  or  fair  ?  Not- 
withftanding,  however,  all  the  evil  that  has  taken 
place  (which  has  chiefly  been  owing  to  a  moft  im- 
politic, and  I  will  add  wicked  and  unprincipled 
coalition  of  other  powers  to  di&ate  to,  and  opprefs, 
that  country)  I  flill  truft  that  the  confequence  of 
that  revolution  will  be  great  and  happy,  and  that 

the 


xvi  PREFACE. 

the  final  iffuc  of  the  prefent  difturbed  flate  of  the 
world  will  be  that  glorious  and  moft  defirable  ftate 
of  things  which  is  the  fubjeft  of  fo  many  prophe- 
cies, tho',  according  to  the  fame  prophecies,  the 
flate  of  things  preceding  this  will  be  moft  calamit- 
ous. Prefent  appearances  greatly  favour  this  ex- 
pectation. The  eye  of  fenfe  fees  the  calamity,  and 
the  eye  of  faith  fees  with  equal  clearnefs  the  good 
that  is  to  follow  it. 


Synonyms  of  Hindoo  Names  and  Deities. 

HINDOO,    Gentoo. 
Veda,  Ved,  Beda,  Bhade. 
Vedam,  Bedang. 
Shaftah,  Shafter,  Saftra. 
Caliougam,  Cal  Jug. 
Mahabad,  Menu,  Mouni,  Adam,  Noah. 

Satyavarman,    Satiavarto,    Sattiavattna,    Satya- 
varman,  Noah. 
Brahma,  Birma,  Burmha,  Brumma. 

Vichnou,  Biftnoo,  Kiftna,  Kiflen,  Chrifhnou; 
Chriften,  Narayen,  Jaggernat,  Rhaam. 

Siva,  Seib,  Chib,  Chiven,  Tchiven,  Mahadeva, 
Moideb,  Mahadco,  Moifoor,  Ifuren,  Routren, 
Ruddery. 

Budda. 


PREFACE.  xvii 

Budda,  Bod,  Pout,  Boutta,  Fo,  Odin,  Xaca. 

Bramin,  Brahmen. 

Chatariya,  Cheterec. 

Vaiflya,  Bice. 

Sudra,  Soodcr,  Choutre. 

Muni,  Menu. 

Beafs,  Biache,  Vyafa. 

Gayatri,  Goitre. 

Gebre,  Parfi. 

Faquir,  Joguis. 


The  Titles  of  feme  of  the  books  quoted  in  this  Work. 

TAISSERTATIONS  and  Mifcellaneous  pie- 
•*^  ces  relating  to  the  hiftory,  and  antiquities, 
the  arts,  faiences,  and  literature  of  Alia,  3  vols. 
8vo.  1792,  &c. 

Ezourvedam,  on  Ancien  Commentaire  du  Ve- 
dam.  Iverdun,  1778. 

Hiftoire  du  Chriftianifme  dcs  Indes,  par  La 
Croze,  2  vols.  i2mo.  1758. 

Sketches  chiefly  relating  to  the  Hiflory,  Religi- 
on, Learning,  and  Manners,  of  the  Hindoos.  2 
vols,  8vo.  1792. 

A  Code 


' 


PREFACE. 

A  Code  of  Gent:oo  Laws,  or  Ordinations  of 
the  Pandits,  from  a  Perfian  Translation,  made  from 
the  original  written  in  the  Shanfcrit  language,  8vo. 
1777. 

Northern.  Antiquities,  tranflated  from  Mr.  Mal- 
let by  Dr.  Percy,  2  vols.  8vo.  1770. 

The   As  c  of  the    Cufloms   of  the   Eafl- 

Indians  with  thofe  of  the  Jews  and  other  antient 
P.ecr  3.  1705. 

An  Account   of  the    Religion,    Manners,  and 
..rning  of  Malabar,  in  feveral  Letters  written  by 
fome  of  the  moft  learned  Men  of  that  Country  to 
Daniih  Miflionaries,     By  Mr.  Philips,  1717. 

Hifloire  de  Li  Religion  des  Banians,  &c.  tra- 
cluit  dc  I'Anglois,  de  Henry  Lord,  i2mo.  1667. 

The  Ceremonies  and  religious  Culioms  of  the 
various  Nations  of  the  known  World.  By  B. 
Pi  cart,  abridged  from  the  French  Original,  Folio, 

J74> 
i 

A  Relation  of  the  Voyage  to  Siam  performed  by 
fix  Jefuits,  fent  by  the  French  King  in  1685. 
London,  1688. 

A    DiiFertation  on  the  Languages,    Literature, 
Manners,  of  Eafiern  Na  ions,   by  John  Rich- 
,  8vo.  1778. 

Voyage 


PREFACE. 

Voyage  de  Niebuhr  en  Arabic,  2  Toms.  8vo« 
1780. 

A  new  Account  of  the  Eafi;- Indies,  by  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  2  vols,  8vo.  1727. 

A  Journey  over  Land  to  the  Eafi  Indies,  by  Don- 
ald Campbell  of  Barbree,  8  vo.  Philadelphia,  i?97« 

Oeuvres  de  Boulanger,  8  Tom.  1778. 

N.  B.  •  The  paffage  of  this  work  referred  to  p. 
221,  is  vol.  i,  p,  58,  is  Antiquite  dmoilce,  Liv.  i. 
cap.  2.  Note. 


A  PLAN  to  procure  a  continually  improving  Trc 
lation  of  the  Scriptures. 

!•  ET  three  perfons,  of  fimilar  principles 
-*-*  and  views,  procure  the  a  Hi  fiance  of  a 
number  of  their  learned  friends,  and  let  each  of 
them  undertake  the  tranflation  of  a  portion  of  the 
whole  Bible,  engaging  to  produce  *'t  in  the  fpace 
of  a  year. 

1 1 .     Let   each  of  the  tranflations  be   carefully 
perufed  by  fome  other  perfon  than  the  tranilator 
kimfelf  ;  and  efpecially  let  each  of  the  three  prin- 
cipals 


xx  PREFACE. 

cipals  pcrufe  the  whole,  and  communicate  their  re- 
marks to  the  translators. 

III.  Let  the  three  principals  have  the  power  of 
making  what  alterations  they  pleafe.  But  if  the 
proper  tranflator  prefer  his  own  verfion,  let  the 
three  principals,  when  they  print  the  work,  infert 
his  verfion  in  the  notes,  or  margin,  diftinguilhed 
by  bis  iignature. 

IV«  If  any  one  of  the  three  differ  in  opinion 
from  the  other  two,  let  his  verfion  be  alfo  annexed 
with  his  fignature. 

V.  Let  the  whole  be  printed  in  one  volume, 
without  any  notes,  except  as  few  as  poffible,  relat- 
ing to  the  verfion,  or  the  phrafeology. 

VI.  Let  the  tranflators,  and  efpecially  the  three 
principals,  give  conftant  attention  to  all  other  new 
tranflations  of  the  fcriptures,  and  all  other  fources 
of  information,    that  they  may  avail  themfelves  of 
them  in  all  fubfequent  editions,  fo  that  this  verfion 
may  always  be  in  a  ftate  of  improvement. 

VII.  Let  the  three  principals  agree  upon  cer- 
tain rules  of  tranfiating,    to  be  obferved  by  all  the 
reft. 

VIII.  On  the  death  of  any  of  the  three  princi- 

pals, 


PREFACE.  xxi 

pals,    let  the  furvivors  make  choice  of  another  to 
fupply  his  place. 

IX.  Let  all  the  profits  of  the  publication  be 
difpofedof  by  the  three  principals  to  fome  public 
inftitution,  in  England  or  any  other  part  of  the 
world  ;  or  in  any  other  manner  that  they  fhall 
think  moft  fubfervient  to  the  caufe  of  truth. 


RULES    OF    TRANSLATING. 

I.  LET  the  tranflators  infcrt  in  the  text  what- 
ever they  think  it   mod  probable  that  the  authors 
really  wrote,  if  it  has  the  authority  of  any  ancient 
vcrfion  or  MS.  but  if  it  differ  from  the  prefent  He- 
brew or  Greek  copies,  let  the  verfion  of  the  prefent 
copies  be  inferted  in  the  margin. 

II.  If  the  tianflators  give  the  preference  to  any 
emendation  of  the  text  not  authorized  by  any  MS. 
or  ancient  verfion,  let  fuch  conjectural  emendation 
be  inferted  in  the  margin  only. 

III.  Let  the  additions  in  the  Samaritan  copy  of 
the  Pentateuch  be  inferted  in  the  text,  but  diftin- 
guifhed  from  the  reft. 

IV.    Let 


xxii  PREFACE. 


Let  not  the  prefent  Englifh  verfion  be 
ehanged,  except  for  the  fake  of  fome  improvement. 

V.  In  the  Old  Teftament,  let  the  word  Jehovah 
be  rendered  by  Jehovah,  and  alto  the  word  kurios 
in  the  New,  in  paffages  in  which  there  is  an  allufion 
to  the  Old,  or  where  it  may  be  proper  to  diftinguifli 
God  from  Chrift. 

VI.  Let  the  prefent  divifion  of  chapters  be  ad- 
hered to,  with  as   little    variation  as  poffible,    and 
the  whole  be  divided  into  paragraphs,  not  exceed- 
ing about  twenty  of  the  prefent  verfes;  but  let  all 
the  prefent  divilions  of  chapters  and  verfes  bs  no- 
ted in  the  margin, 

VII.  To  each  chapter  let  there  be  prefixed  a 
fumrnary  of  the  contents,  as  in  the  common  ver- 
fion. 


CONTENTS. 


THE 

CONTENTS. 

1  HE  INTRODUCTION  Page     i 

SECTION    I. 

Of  the  Antiquity  of  the  Hindoo  Nation  and 
Religion,  -  -  7 

SECTION  II. 

Points  of  Refemblance  between  the  Religion 
of  the  Hindoos  and  that  of  the  Egyptians, 
Greeks,  and  other  wefteni  Nations,  15 

SECTION    III. 

Of  the  Veda's,  and  other  facred  Books  of  the 
Hindoos,  24 

SECTION    IV. 

Of  the  Agreement  of  the  Hindoo  Principles 
and  Traditions,  and  thofe  of  other  ancient 
Nations,  with  the  Writings  of  Mofcs,  33 

SECTION    V. 
Of  the  Creation,  and  the  general  Principles 

of  the   Hindoo  Philofophy,  49 

SECTION    VI. 
Of  the  Hindoo  Polytheifm,  and  Idolatry,  7j 

SECTION    VII. 

Of  the  Religion  of  Egypt,  -  -92 

SECTION  VIII. 


xxiv  THE  CONTENTS. 

SECTION    VIII. 

Of  the  Religion  of  the  Schamans,  105 

SECTION  IX. 
Of  the  different  Cafts  among  the  Hindoos,  n  I 

SECTION  X. 
Of  the  Bramins,  121 

SECTION  XL 
Of  the  Prerogatives  of  the  Kings,  141 

SECTION     XII. 

Of  the  Situation  of  Women  among  the  Hin- 
doos, 148 

SECTION     XIII. 
Of  the  Devotion  of  the  Hindoos,  155 

SECTION    XIV. 

Of  the  Reftrictions  of  the  Hindoos  and 
other  ancient  Nations  with  refpeft  to 
Food,  -  1 68 

SECTION    XV. 

Of  the  Aufterities  of  the  Hindoos  and  other 
heathen  Nations,  178 

SECTION    XVI. 

Of  the  Hindoo  Penances,  198 

SECTION    XVII. 

Of  the  Superftition  of  the  Hindoos  and  others 
for  the  Cow,  and  alfo  for  the  elements  of 
Fire  and  Water,  -  208 

SECTION  XVIIL 


THE     CONTENTS.  Xxv 

SECTION     XVIII. 
Of  the  licentious  Rites  of  the  Hindoo  and 
other  ancient  Religions,          -  223 

SECTION    XIX. 
Of  Charms  and  Fortunate  Times,  231 

SECTION    XX. 
Of  Trial  by  Ordeal. 

SECTION     XXI. 
Of  various  Kinds  of  Superftition,  247 

SECTION     XXII. 
Of  the  Devotion  of  the  Modern  Jews,  255 

SECTION     XXIII. 
Of  the  Hindoo  Doclrine  of  a  future  State,       260 

SECTION    XXIV. 

Concluding  Reflections,  -  276 

REMARKS  ON  MR.  DUPUlS's  ORIGIN 

OF   ALL   RELIGIONS. 
THE    INTRODUCTION.  301 

SECTION     I. 
Of  the  Argument  concerning  the  Being  of  a 

God,  304 

SECTION     II. 
Of  the  Age  of  the  World,  310 

SECTION    III. 
Of  the  Hiftoiy,    and  the  Inftitutions    of 

Mofes,  31 8 

SECTION      IV. 

Of  Chriilianity,  340 

f  APPENDIX. 


xxvi  THE  CONTENTS. 

APPENDIX. 

Of  the  Allegorizing  Talents  of  Mr.  Boulanger,  365 
THE  LAWS  AND  INSTITUTIONS    or 

MOSES  METHODIZED. 
The  Principal  Objeft  of  the  Hebrew  Religi- 
on, and  fome  general  Maxims  of  it,       -       373 
The  Introduction,  containing  an  Account  of  the  Cir- 
cumjlances  attending  the  Delivery  of  the  Law, 
Ex.    xxix,    I.. .25. 

PART     I. 
Laws  relating  to  Idolatry,  379 

PART     IL 
Criminal  and  Civil  Laws,  380 

PART     III. 
Precepts  of  Morality,  -  381 

PART     IV. 
Rules  relating  to  Food,  382 

PART    V. 
Rules  relating  to  Defilement,  -         383 

PART     VI. 
Of  Feftivals  and  Fafts,  -  ,.  383 

PART     VII. 
Of  the  firft  Fruits,  .  -  384 

PART    VIII. 

Of  the  Tabernacle,  and  the  things  contain- 
ed in  it, 

PART 
Of  Offerings,  .  387 

PART     X. 


THE    CONTENTS. 


XXVll 


PART     X. 
Of  the  Priefts  and  Levites, 

PART     XI. 
Of  the  Nazaritcs, 

PART     XII. 
Of  Vows, 

PART    XIII. 
Laws  of  War, 

PART    XIV. 
Miscellaneous  Articles. 

PART    XV. 
Exhortations  to   Obedience, 
AN    ADDRESS   TO   THE   JEWS. 


388 
389 
389 
390 

39° 

391 

393 


ERRATA. 


N.  B.     (b)   fignifiei  from  the  bottom  of  the  page. 
Page     28.  1.    I.   (b}  for  myftical  theology,  read  myftical 

philofophy. 

53- 

.    8.  for 

\vhom,           read 

whofe. 

56. 

•  9-   ' 

of, 

of  a. 

61. 

9.   (b) 

thcfc, 

there. 

88. 

6. 

i«, 

in. 

151. 

.13. 

their, 

thefe. 

218. 

i.  (b) 

the, 

for  the. 

294. 

n.  (b) 

inftitution, 

inftitutions. 

298. 

.     2.   (b) 

it, 

is. 

301. 

,     9.  (b) 

in, 

ne. 

3'7- 

.  10.   (b) 

and  was, 

was. 

3*7- 

4.  (b) 

our, 

own. 

34i. 

•    7- 

Chrift, 

ofChrift. 

37J. 

•    7» 

rcfpca, 

with  rc:pe&. 

39*- 

.    i.  (b) 

a, 

of. 

405. 

3-   (b) 

Edomctes> 

the  Edomttes. 

410.  1.    8.   (b) 

is, 

is  fo. 

H    E 


INTRODUCTION. 


TH  E  inftitutions  of  the  Hindoos,  civil  and 
religious,  are  the  moft  refpe&able  for  their 
antiquity  of  any  that  now  fubfift,  at  leaft  of  any 
that  are  extant  in  writing.  The  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  them  were  probably  prior  to  thofe  of 
Mofes,  the  whole  of  the  fyftem  in  its  prefent  ftate 
could  not  have  been  much  later  than  his  time,  and 
we  are  now  happily  in  pofleflion  of  the  moft 
authentic  documents  concerning  it.  We  only 
want  a  tranflation  into  fome  European  language 
of  the  Veda's,  which  contain  all  their  laws,  as  they 
are  faid  to  have  come  from  the  mouth  of  Brahma, 
by  the  immediate  direction  of  the  Supreme  Being, 
The  original  we  are  informed  is  now  in  the  pof- 
feflion  of  an  Englifhma".,  and  therefore  it  is  to  be 

hoped 


:  Tfe  Trijlitutions  of  Mofes  and 


-not  be  long  without  an  Englifh 
verfion  of  books  of  fo  much  curiofity.  In  the  mean 
time  we  have  other  works  compofed  by  Hindoos, 
which  contain  a  faithful  account  of  every  thing  of 
importance  in  them;  and  therefore,  as  we  connot 
be  in  any  doubt  with  refpeft  to  their  genuine  prin- 
ciples, it  is  in  our  power  to  examine  them  without 
any  danger  of  falling  into  the  leaft  mi  flake  of  con- 
fequence  ;  tho'  more  exprefs  and  dire6l  authorities 
may  hereafter  be  produced  from  the  Veda's  them- 
felves. 

The  Hindoos  and  their  inflitutions  are  held  in 
the  higheft  admiration  by  many  Europeans  who 
have  cultivated  an  acquaintance  with  them.  '  They 

*  have/  fays  Mr.  Holwell,  '  from  the  earliefl  times 

*  been  the  ornaments  of  the  creation/  Mr.  Langles 
the   French  tranflator  of  the  Hitopades,   a  curious 
book  of    Indian  Fables,  calls  the  authors  of  the 
Hindoo  religion  '  venerable   inflitutors,  who  de- 
4  livered  precepts  of  the  foundeft  morality,  and  a 
1  fyflem  of  metaphyfics  truly  fublime,  hid  under 
1  an  ingenious  veil  of  allegory.  (Preliminary  Dif- 

*  courfe,  p.  7.)  Their  religion,  he  fays,  p.  10.  re- 
4  putable  in  its  errors,  boafts,  like  every  other,   a 
6  celeflial  origin/ 

Every  thing  of  great  antiquity  relating  to  any 
part  of  the  human  fpecies  muft  be  interefting,  not 
only  to  their  pofterity,  but  to  all  mankind;  as  the 

inflitutions 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.  3 

jnftitutions  of  their  remote  anceftors  mud  be  capa- 
ble of  receiving  fome  illuftration  from  the  know- 
ledge of  them.  For  fome  relation  or  other,  by 
connection  or  oppolition,  mufl  have  fubfifted  be- 
tween them.  '  In  the  religion  of  the  Hindoos/ 
fays  Mr.  Langles,  *  notwithstanding  all  the  alte- 
'  rations  it  has  undergone,  we  diftinguifh  in  its 
'  morals,  in  its  doctrines,  and  in  its  ceremonies, 

*  thofe  of  the    Egyptians  and   Jews;    who  have 
£  done  nothing  but  ape  (finger)  the  latter,  of  the 

*  Chinefe,  of  the  Greeks,  of  the  Romans,  and  even 
'  of  the  Chriftians/ 

This  writer  farther  fays,  p.  22.  "  The  five  Veda's, 

*  of  which  four  only  now  remain,  feem  to  be  the 
'  prototype  of  the  five  kings  of  the  Chinefe,  and  the 
'  five  books  of  Mofes,  who  have  only  copied  Egyp- 

*  tian  works,  originally  from  India."    Then,  fpeak- 
ing  of   the  Egyptians   and  Jews,  he  fays,  p.  24, 
'   They  have  altered  them,   and  mixed  them  with 
'  fables,    to  adapt  them  to  the  genius  and   tafte  of 
'  their  countrymen  ;   but  they  have  not  been  able 
'  to  efface  marks  of  refemblance,  which  would  be 
6  more  finking  if  we  had  a  more  complete  tranfla- 

*  tion  of  the  Indian  original,    and  of  the  Chinefe 
f  imitation.     I  have,  however,  collected  circum- 
'  fiances    of  comparifon  fufficient  to  convince  the 
'  mofl  incredulous  if  they  be  honefl.     This  I  re- 

*  ferve  for  a  particular    dilTertation  on  the  confor- 

'  mity 


4  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

*  mity  of  the   Chinefe,   the  Egyptians,  and  Jews, 
'  with  the  Indians.     I  confider,"  he  fays,  page  15, 

*  the  Pentateuch  as  an  abridgment  of  the  Egypti- 
'  an  books,  the  original  of  which  ftill  exifts  in  In- 

*  dia,  where  literature  was  cultivated  long  before 
6  Egypt  was  made  habitable  by  the  labour  of  men. 

*  Mofes,"  he  fays  p.  14,  "  educated  at  the  court  of 
'  Pharoah,    endowed  with  talents  and  knowledge, 

*  which  never  entered  into  the  head  of  a  Jew,  made 
'  ufe  ot  it  to  form  a  body  of  laws  for  a  fmall  horde 
6  of  flaves,  whofe  efcape  he  favoured/ 

This  having  been  advanced,  it  behoves  both 
Jews  and  Chriflians  to  confider  what  relation  their 
inftitutions  bear  to  thofe  from  which  they  are  faid  to 
have  been  derived.  Our  author,  we  fee,  has  pro- 
mifed  to  do  this  for  us  in  another  work ;  but  as  I  have 
not  heard  of  its  being  executed,  and  it  is  uncertain 
whether  his  defign  will  ever  be  carried  into  executi- 
on, it  is  worth  our  while,  in  abufmefs  of  fo  much 
importance,  to  examine  the  probable  ground  of  his 
opinion.  And  from  the  attention  that  I  have  gi- 
ven to  the  fubjeft  I  am  under  no  apprehenfion  of 
the  inftitutions  of  Mofes  loiing  any  part  of  the  ref- 
pecl:  that  has  hitherto  been  paid  to  them,  in  con- 
fequence  of  a  fair  comparifon  with  thofe  of  the  Hin- 
doos, or  thofe  of  any  other  ancient  nation. 

On  the  contraiy,  I  am  perfuaded  that  the  wif- 
dom  of  the  laws,  and  of  the  religion,  prefcribed  in 

the 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.  J 

the  writings  of  Mofes,  and  in  the  books  of  the  Old 
Teflament  in  general,  which  are  written  in  the  fame 
fpirit,  will  appear  to  fo  much  advantage,  when  con- 
traded  with  thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  that,  confidering 
the  little  opportunity  that  Mofes,  or  any  perfon 
of  his  nation,  could  have  had  for  acquiring  fupc- 
rior  knowledge,  the  origin  of  his  inftitutions  can- 
not but  be  concluded  to  have  been  divine.  That 
the  five  books  of  Mofes  could  have  been  compofed; 
from  the  five  Veda's,  if  ever  there  were  five  (for* 
three  only  are  mentioned  in  the  oldeft  Hindod 
writings  and  a  fourth  was  added  afterwards)  could 
hardly,  I  mould  have  thought,  have  been  aflerted 
by  any  perfon  who  had  read  the  pentateuch,  and 
fuch  accounts  as  we  have  of  the  Veda's. 

The  Inftitutions  of  Menu  are  next  in  authority  to 
the  Veda's  themfelves,  and  they  contain  a  faithful 
account  of  every  thing  that  is  of  much  importance 
in  them  ;  and  of  this  work  Sir  William  Jones,  who 
tranflated  it,  fays,  "  It  is  a  fyftem  of  defpotifm  and 
6  prieftcraft,  both  indeed  limited  by  law,  but  art- 

*  fully  conftru&ed  to  give  mutual  fupport,    tho' 
'  with  mutual  checks.     It  is  filled  with  ftrange  con- 
'  ceits  in    Metaphyfics,    and  Natural  Philofophy, 

*  with  idle  fuperilitions,  and  with  a  fcheme  of  the- 
'  ology  moft  obfcurely  figurative,  and  confequent- 
'  ly    liable   to  dangerous    mifconception.      It   a- 

*  bounds  with  minute  and  childifh  formalities,  with 

ceremonies 


6  .     The  Inflitutions  of  Mofes  and 

'  ceremonies   generally  abfurd,    and  often  ridicu- 
'  ,lous.     The  puniCbments  are  partial  and  fanciful ; 

*  for  fome  crimes  dreadfully  cruel,    and  for  others 
6  reprehenuvely  flight,  and  the  very  morals,  tho'  ri- 
'  gid  enough,  on  the  whole,    are  in  one  or  two  in- 

*  fiances,  as  in  the  cafe  of  light  oaths,  and  pious  per- 

*  juries,   unaccountably  relaxed.     Neverthelefs,.  a 

*  fpirit  of  fublirne    devotion,  of  benevolence    to 
'  mankind,  and  of  amiable  tendernefs  to  all  fenti- 
'  ent  creatures,  pervades  the   whole  work."  (Dif- 

fertations  relating  to  Afia,  Preface,  p.  18.) 

Thefe  two  men,  Mr.  Langles  and  Sir  William 
Jones,  both  tranflators  of  Hindoo  writings,  muft 
have  had  very  different  ideas  of  their  inftitutions ; 
and  when  men  of  learning,  equally  acquainted  with 
the  religion  and  language  of  thefe  people,  dif- 
fer fo  widely  in  their  opinion,  on  a  fubjecl:  of  fo 
much  importance,  it  behoves  every  perfon  who  can 
do  it  to  judge  for  himfelf.  Having  attentively  con- 
fidered  all  that  Europeans  as  yet  know  of  the 
Hindoos,  I  muft  fay  that  I  entirely  agree  with  Sir 
William  Jones  in  the  former  part  of  the  opinion  gi- 
ven above,  but  not  in  the  latter  part  of  it.  There 
are,  no  doubt,  fome  fentiments  of  juft,  and  what 
may  be  called fub lime,  devotion  in  the  Hindoo  wri- 
tings. For  if  devotional  fentiments  be  juft,  they 
muft,  from  the  greatnefs  of  the  object,  partake  of 
the  fublirne.  Brit  the  general  character  of  the  de- 
votion 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  £?<;.  compared.  j 

votion  of  the  Hindoos  is  that  of  a  debating  fuper- 
ftition ;  and  their  tendernefs  for  animals  is  chiefly  fu- 
perflition  and  weaknefs,  derived  from  their  do&rine 
of  tranfmigration.  But  tho'  I  give  my  opinion 
with  this  freedom,  my  readers  will  have  it  in  their 
power  to  judge  for  themfelves,  from  the  copious  ex- 
tracts which  I  ihall  lay  before  them  from  Hindoo 
books,  and  the  teftimony  of  travellers  of  the  great- 
eft  credit,  fuch  as  are  allowed  to  have  been  thebeft 
informed  concerning  the  religion,  the  cuftoms,  and 
the  government,  of  Hindoftan. 


SECTION    I. 


Of  the  Antiquity  of  the  Hindoo  Nation  and  Religion. 

THE  Hindoos,  like  the  Egyptians,  and  moft 
other  ancient  nations,  make  a  boaft  of  the 
moft  extravagant  antiquity;  and  fome  perfons,  evi- 
dently with  a  view  to  undervalue  the  Jews,  give  or 
affeft  to  give,  them  credit.  Mr.  Langles  fays, 
(H'itopades,  Difcours  Preliminaire,  p.  12,)  'many 
'  thoufand  years  before  thefe  people'  (among 
whom  he  includes  the  Egyptians,  Jews,  and  Chi- 
nefe,)  <  formed  themfelves  into  focieties,  or  ever 

' thought 


8  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

*  thought  of  forming  a  religion,  the  civilized  In- 
'  dians  adored  the  Supreme  Being,  eternal,  almigh- 
'  ty  and  allwife,  divided  into  three  perfons/ 

Happily,  thefe  extravagant  accounts  contain 
data  by  means  of  which  we  are  able,  from  our  know- 
ledge of  the  courfe  of  nature,  to  reduce  thefe  enor- 
mous antiquities  within  the  bounds  of  reafon  and 
probability.  An  excellent  fpecimen  of  this  has  been 
given  by  Sir  Ifaac  Newton,  in  his  Chronology  of 
ancient  kingdoms  amended.  By  fuch  lights  as  thefe, 
perfons  of  fagacity  and  good  judgment  have  made 
it  appear  with  fufficient  evidence,  that  the  oldefl 
accounts  of  the  Hindoo  nation  do  not  in  reality 
go  any  farther  back  than  to  the  deluge  mentioned 
in  the  books  of  Mofes,  and  that  their  religious  in- 
ftitutions  were  confequently  poflerior  to  that  event. 
Some  unbelievers  in  revelation  have  had  the  can- 
dour to  avow  this  opinion.  There  is,  however, 
no  doubt  of  the  very  great  antiquity  of  the  Hin- 
doo religion. 

Sir  William  Jones  fays.  (Diflertations  relating  to 
AJia,  vol.  i.  p.  199)  '  The  firft  corruption  of  the 
{  purefl  and  oldeft  religion,  which  confifted  in  the 

*  worfhip  of  one    God,   the  maker  and  governor 
6  of  all  things,  was  the  fyftem  of  the  Indian  theo- 
{ logy,  invented  by  the  Bramins,  and  prevailing  in 
c  thofe  territories  where  the  books  of  Mahabad  or 
'  Menu  is  at  this  hour  the  ftandard  of  all  religious 

and 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    (3c.  compared.          A 

«  and  moral  duties.'     In  his  preface  to  the  Inftitu- 
tions  of  Menu  he  fays,  p.  4.  "  They  are  fuppofed 

*  by   the   Bramins,   to  have  been  promulgated  by 

*  Menu,   the   fon  or  grandfon  of  Brahma,  or  the 
'  firft  of  created  beings.     This  work,  he  fays,  p.  7, 
'  is  one  of  the  oldefl  competitions  exifting,  writ- 
'  ten  about  three  hundred  years  after  the  Veda's, 
'  or  about  1280  years  before  Chrift/ 

According  to  this  account,  the  Veda's  were* 
compofed  about  1580  years  before  Chrift,  or  about 
one  hundred  years  before  the  time  of  Mofes.  Me- 
nu himfelf,  to  whom  thefe  Inftitutes  are  afcribed, 
was,  Sir  William  Jones  is  of  opinion,  the  fame  with 
Adam.  (Preface,  p.  12)  and  that  a  fecond  Menu 
Was  Noah  ( Differtations  relating  to  Afia,  vol.  i, 

P-  3^40 

The  opinion  of  Mr.  Freret  and  Mr.  Bailly,  no 
friends  of  revelation,  are  nearly  the  fame  with  this 
of  Sir  William  Jones.  According  to  the  former, 
the  period  called  Caliougam  is  the  commencement 
of  real  Hindoo  hiftory,  every  thing  preceding  id 
being  merely  fabulous ;  and  then  the  year  of  Chrift 
1778  will  correfpond  to  the  Hindoo  year  4880 
(Ezourvcdam,  vol.  2,  p.  216)  Mr.  Bailly  fays 
the  Indian  aftronomy  had  its  origin  3 102  years  be- 
fore Chrift  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hi/lory,  £&.  of 
the  Hindoos,  p.  307)  Nay  the  moft  learned  of  the 
Bramins  themfclves  fay  that  the  Veda's  are  not  ol- 

B 


io  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

derthan  4866  years  (Ezourvedam,  vol.  2,  p.  216) 
which  carries  them  to  about  260  years  after  the  de- 
luge. 

Thi5  is  the  date  that  Mr.  Holwell  affigns  to  the 
original  Chartah  Bhade  Shajlah,  as  he  calls  the 
work.  A  thoufand  years  after  this,  he  fays,  fome 
expounders  of  the  work  publifhed  a  paraphrafe  of 
it,  retaining  the  original  intire.  This  was  called 
Chahta  Bhade.  From  this  he  fays  the  polytheifm 
of  the  Gentoos  took  its  rife.  '  Five  hundred  years 
c  later  a  new  expofition  of  the  Shaftah  was  pub- 
6  limed  called  Auchtorrah  Bhade  Shajlah,  or  the 
1  eighteen  books  of  divine  words,  in  which  the  origi- 
'  nal  text  was  in  a  manner  funk,  and  alluded  to  on- 
1  ly.  At  this  time  many  of  the  ceremonies  and  ex- 
'  terior  modes  of  worfhip  were  introduced,  and  the 
'  whole  of  their  religion  enveloped  in  impenetrable 
'  obfcurity  and  allegory,  and  the  laity  excluded  from 
'  the  knowledge  of  the  ancient  fcriptures.  This,' 
he  fays,  c  occafioned  a  fchifm  among  the  Gentoos, 

*  the  Bramins  of  Coromandel  and   Malabar  adhe- 

*  ring  to  the  old  fyftem,  and  thofe  who  refided  near 
e  the    Ganges  adopting  the  innovations/'     (Inter- 
ejling  Hijlorical  Events,  vol.2,   p.    14,   &c.) 

Mr.  Dow  fays,    *  the  firft  credible  account  we 
'  have  of   the  Beda's  is  that  about  the  commence- 
1  ment  of  the  Cal  Jug,  of  which  the  year  of  Chrifl 
'  1769  was  the  4887^1,  they  were  written,  or  ra- 
ther 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  G?c.  compared.         1 1 

colle&ed,  by  a  great  philofopher  called  Beafs  Mw- 
nis  or  #e<2/s  tfAe  infpired.  This  learned  man  is  o- 
therwife  called  Crijhen  Bafdeo,  and  is  faid  to  have 
lived  in  the  reign  of  Judifhter,  near  the  prefent 
city  of  Dehli."  (HiJIory  of  Indoftan,  p.  27.) 

According  to  the  learned  Pundits  who  compiled 
the  Code  of  Gentoo  laws,  the  Shafler,  that  is  the 
Veda's,  were  not  compofed  till  crimes  became  com- 
mon. (Introdu&ion,  p.  101.)  They  fay,  p.  102, 
that  for  fome  periods  after  the  creation,  there  were 
no  crimes,  magiftrates,  or  punifhments ;  and  as 
the  Hindoos  believe  in  the  deluge,  which  they  fay 
deflroyed  all  the  human  race,  except  eight  perfons, 
the  compofition  of  thefe  books  muft  neceflarily 
have  been  a  confiderable  time  after  that  event.  For 
their  laws  are  contained  in  thefe  books. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  Sir  William  Jones  that  the 
origin  of  the  Hindoo  nation  and  government  is  to 
be  looked  for  in  Iran,  or  Perfia,  where  a  great  mo- 
narchy was  eftablimed  before  the  Aflyrian,  called 
by  the  Oriental  hiftorians  the  Pifhdadian  dynafly  ; 
and  they  fay  that  "  the  firft  of  thefe  ancient  mo- 
narchs,  whom  they  call  Mahabad,  or  Menu,  re- 
ceived from  the  Creator,  a  facred  book,  in  a  hea- 
venly language,  meaning  the  Veda's  (Differ  tat  ions 
relating  to  Afia,  vol.  2,  p.  in.)  This  firft  mo- 
narch, they  alfo  fay,  divided  the  people  into  four 
orders,  the  religious,  the  military;  the  commercial, 

and 


1 2  The  Inflitutions  'of  Mofes  and 

the  fervile,  (  Dijfertations  relating  to  Afia>  vol.  i, 
p.  197.  206.)  This,  therefore,  muft  have  been  a 
Hindoo  government. 

In  the  reign  of  Hufhang,  the  third  of  the  Pirn- 
dadian  race,  "  a  reformation^  he  fays  was  made  in 
the  religious  fyftem,  when  the  complex  polytheifm 
of  the  preceding  times  was  rejected,  and  religion 
was  reduced  to  what  is  ufually  called  Sabaifnt^ 
which  confifted  chiefly  in  the  worfhip  of  the  fun, 
moon  and  ftars  *  ib.  p.  198.  The  laws  of  Ma- 
habad  were,  however,  retained,  and  his  fuperfti- 
tious  veneration  for  fire,  p.  200.  On  this  the 
favourers  of  the  old  religion  retired  to  Hindoftan, 
and  their  oldeft  exifting  laws  forbad  them  ever  to 
return,  or  to  leave  the  country  they  now  inhabit, 
p.  206. 

Another  reformation,  or  change,  in  the  fyftem 
was  made,  he  fays,  under  Gufhtafp,  in  the  next,  or 
the  Kaianite  dynafty,  thought  to  have  been  the 
fame  with  Darius  Hyftafpis,  &c,  "  This  was  ef- 
fected by  Zeratufht,  or  Zoroafter ;  he  introduced 
genii,  or  angels,  prefiding  over  months  and  days, 
new  ceremonies  in  the  veneration  fhewn  to  fire,  and 
gave  out  a  new  work,  which  he  faid  came  from  hea- 
ven, but  withal  he  eftablifhed  the  adoration  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  ib.  p.  200.  This  work  was  loft 

*  Sabaifm,  being  a  much  more  {imple  religion  than  that 
pf  the  Hindoos,  muft,  I  doubt  not,  have  preceded  it. 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.         13 

at  theconqueft  of  Perfia  by  the  Mahometans  ;  but 
the  priefts  of  that  religion  have  compofed  another 
from  what  they  were  able  to  recollect  of  their  in- 
ftitutions.  It  is  called  Zcndavejla,  and  has  been 
tranflated  into  French  by  Mr.  Anquetil." 

The  followers  of  Zeratufht,  now  called  Gebres, 
or  Parfi's,  perfecuted  thofe  of  the  religion  immedi- 
ately preceding,  and  thefe  alfo  took  refuge  in  In- 
dia, where  they  wrote  a  number  of  books,  which 
are  now  very  fcarce,  p.  182.  They  refemble,  Sir 
William  Jones  fays,  the  Hindoo  fe&s  of  S auras, 
and  Saguinas,  of  which  the  laft  mentioned  is  very 
numerous  at  Benares. 

Another  innovator  in  the  religion  of  the  Eafl 
before  the  chriftian  aera  was  Budda,  generally  fup- 
pofed  to  have  been  the  fame  with  the  Fo  of  the 
Chinefe,  the  Somonocodom  of  Siam,  the  Xaca  of 
Japan  and  the  Odin  of  the  North  of  Europe.  Ac- 
cording to  Sir  William  Jones,  he  difapproved  of 
the  Veda's ;  becaufe  they  enjoined  the  facrifice  of 
cattle,  p.  23,  and  made  his  appearance  in  1027 
B.  C.  His  difciples  are  thought  to  have  been  the 
fame  with  the  Sammanes  who  were  oppofed  to  the 
Brachmanes  of  the  Greek  hiftorians.  But  the  Sam- 
manes  were,  I  doubt  not,  of  much  greater  antiqui- 
ty, as  alfo  was  Somonocodom.  The  followers  of 
Budda  gave  great  umbrage  to  the  Bramins,  who 
never  ceafed  to  perfecute  them  till  they  had  effect- 


•  £  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ed  their  extirpation  from  Hindoftan  by  fire  and 
f  word,  about  five  hundred  years  ago  (Ezourvedam, 
p.  72,  105,  Modern  Univerfal  Hijlory  vol.  7,  p. 


There  is,  however,  a  great  refemblance  between 
the  fyftem  of  the  Hindoos  and  that  of  Budda  ;  and 
perhaps  with  a  view  to  conciliate  thefe  people,  the 
Bramins  of  Cafi  make  Budda  the  ninth  avatar  or 
transformation  of  Vichnow  (  Differ  tations  relating 
to  AJia,  vol.  2,  p.  13.)  This  religion  is  that  which 
prevails  in  India  beyond  the  Ganges.  It  was  re- 
ceived in  China  A.  D.  65,  and  is  eftablifhed 
in  Japan.  A  religion  very  fimilar  to  this  is  alfo 
that  of  the  Lamas  of  Tibet. 

Indeed,  all  the  deviations  from  the  original  Hin- 
doo fyftem  retained  the  fame  general  principles. 
The  advocates  of  them  all  held  the  do&rine  of  the 
pre-exiftence  of  fouls,  their  fubfi  fling  and  acting 
independently  of  bodies,  and  their  tranfmigration 
into  other  bodies  after  death.  They  had  the  fame 
low  opinion  of  matter,  and  the  fame  veneration  for 
the  elements  of  fire  and  water,  as  purifiers  of  the  foul. 
They  had  fimilar  reftriftions  with  refpeft  to  food, 
the  fame  addi&ednefs  to  divination,  and  the  fame 
idea  of  the  ufe  of  corporeal  aufterities  for  the  ex- 
piation of  fin.  I  fhall,  therefore  in  this  work  con- 
fider  what  I  find  concerning  any  of  them,  as  equal- 
ly to  my  purpofe.  tho'  I  fhall  not  fail  to  diftinguifh 

what 


Thofe  of  tht  Hindoos,   &7c.   compared         15 

what  belongs  to  each.  They  are  all  very  ancient 
oriental  religions,  and  it  may  not  be  amifs  to  com- 
pare the  inftitutions  of  Mofes  with  the  mofl  im- 
proved of  them,  as  well  as  with  thofe  that  were 
coeval  with  himfelf. 


SECTION     II. 

Points  of  Refemblance  between  the  Religions  of  the 
Hindoos  and  that  o/  the  Egyptians,  Greeks,  and 
ether  wejlern  Nations. 

IT  may  be  thought  to  be  of  fome  importance  to 
compare  the  inftitutions  of  Mofes  with  thofe 
with  which  he  may  be  fuppofed  to  have  been  ac- 
quainted, rather  than  with  thofe  which  were  mere- 
ly of  equal  antiquity.  But  in  faft  thofe  of  the 
Hindoos  are  in  this  ftate,  fince  the  fame  general 
principles  may  be  found  in  them  and  in  thofe  of 
the  Egyptians  and  other  nations  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Paleftine.  Indeed,  it  is  probable  from 
this  and  other  circumftances,  that  the  commence- 
ment of  all  thefe  fyftems  which  deviated  from  the 
religion  of  the  patriarchs  (which  is  prefervedin  the 
writings  of  Mofes)  was  prior  to  the  general  difper- 
fion  of  mankind. 

A 


1 6  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

A  fyflem  fo  ancient  as  that  of  the  Hindoos  mail 
have  been  formed  about  the  fame  time  with  that  of 
the  Egyptians,  from  which  that  of  the  Greeks,  and 
other  weftern  nations  was  in  fome  meafure  deriv- 
ed ;  and  accordingly  many  points  of  refemblance 
have  been  obferved  between  them,  too  many  and 
too  (hiking,  to  have  been  fortuitous.  Even  fome 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Ethiopia  appear  to  have  been 
of  the  fame  origin  with  thofe  of  Hindoftan  (Dif- 
fertations  relating  to  Afia,  vol.  i,  p.  112)  and  both 
the  Ethiopians  and  Egyptians  feem  to  have  had 
fome  connection  or  intercourfe  with  the  Hindoos  ; 
but  of  what  kind  it  was,  or  when  it  fubfifted,  we 
have  no  certain  account ;  and  they  have  been  fo 
long  feparated,  that  at  prefent  they  are  in  total  igno- 
rance of  each  other. 

According  to  Eufebius  and  Syncellus,  fome! 
people  from  the  river  Indus  fettled  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Egypt  in  the  reign  of  Amenophis, 
the  father  of  Sefoftris,  and  many  Egyptians,  ba- 
niflied  by  their  princes,  fettled  in  other  countries, 
and  fome  went  fo  far  as  India  (Ezourvedam,  p. 
15.  1 6- )  It  is  alfo  fuppofed  that  many  of  the  priefls 
of  Egypt  left  the  country  on  the  invafion  of  it  by 
Cambyfes.  But  fuch  circumftances  as  thefe  are 
not  fufficient  to  account  for  the  great  refemblance 
between  the  two  fyftems.  The  Hindoos  them- 
felves  fay  that  their  facred  books  came  from  the 

Weft, 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    G?c.  compared.         1 7 

Weft.  Ib.  p.  17.  But  themfelves,  no  doubt,  as 
well  as  their  books,  came  from  that  quarter,  and 
their  facred  books  were  probably  compofed  while 
the  feat  of  the  empire  was  in  Perfia. 

There  are  a  few  Egyptian  words  fimilar  to  thofe 
in  the  ancient  language  of  Hindoftan,  which  feem 
to  fhew  that  the  two  people  had  fome  affinity  to 
each  other.  Brama,  pronounced  birouma  in  Ma- 
labar, fignifies  man,  and  fo  did  pirouma  in  the  Ian* 
guage  of  Egypt.  (La  Croze,  p.  225)  The  name  of 
the  river  of  Egypt,  Nile,  is  probably  Sanfcrit, 
fince  nila  in  that  language  fignifies  blue  (Differta* 
tions  relating  to  AJia,  vol.  i,  p.  58)  and  the  ancients 
fay  it  had  its  name  from  that  colour. 

But  circumflances  of  much  more  importance 
than  thefe  difcover  fome  early  connexion  between 
Hindoftan  and  Egypt.  The  names  and  figures  of 
the  twelve  figns  of  the  Zodiac  among  the  Hindoos 
are  nearly  the  fame  with  ours,  which  came  from 
Egypt  thro*  Greece,  and  each  of  thefe  figns  is  di- 
vided into  thirty  degrees  (Sketches  relating  to  the 
hiftory,  &?c.  of  the  Hindoos,  p.  312)  Both  the  Egyp- 
tians and  Hindoos  had  alfo  the  fame  divifion  of 
time  into  weeks,  and  they  denominated  each  of  the. 
days  by  the  names  of  the  fame  planets  (La  Croze, 

P-  309) 

The  refemblance  between  the  Oriental  and  Occi- 
dental fyftems  extends  much  farther  than  Egypt, 

C  The 


1 8  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

The  office  and  power  of  the  Druids  in  the  nor- 
thern parts  of  Europe,  did  not  differ  much  from 
thofe  of  the  Bramins  ;  and  the  Etrufcans,  from 
whom  the  Romans  derived  the  greateft  part  of  their 
learning  and  religion,  had  a  fyflem  which  had  a 
near  affinity  with  that  of  the  Perlians  and  Indians, 
and  they  wrote  alternately  to  the  right  hand  and 
the  left  (  Differtations  relating  to  Aft  a,  vol.  2,  p. 

348.) 

Several  remarkable  general  principles  were  held 
alike  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  and  the  modern  Hin- 
doos. They  both  believed  that  the  fouls  of  men 
exifted  in  a  prior  (late,  and  that  they  go  into  other 
bodies  after  death.  They  had  the  fame  ideas  of 
the  body  being  a  prifon  to  the  foul,  and  imagined 
that  they  could  purify  and  exalt  the  foul  by  the 
mortification  of  the  body ;  and  from  the  idea  of 
the  great  fuperiority  of  fpiritual  to  corporeal 
fubftances,  they  held  all  matter  in  great  con- 
tempt. They  alfo  both  believed  that  plants  had  a 
principle  of  animation  (La  Croze  p.  232) 

Several  religious  ideas  and  cufloms  were  com- 
mon to  both  countries.  The  Egyptians  of  Thebais 
reprefented  the  world  under  the  figure  of  an  egg, 
which  came  from  the  mouth  of  Cneph,  (Ezourve- 
dam,  p.  18)  and  this  we  mail  mew,  refembled  the 
firfl  production  according  to  the  Hindoo  fyflem. 
Several  of  the  Egyptian  deities  were  both  male  and 

female 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   £?c.  compared.        10, 

female,  which  correfponds  to  the  figure  of  the  lin- 
gam  with  the  Hindoos,  ib.  p.  24.     This  obfcene 
figure,  at  leaft  the  phallus,  was  much  ufed  in  the 
Egyptian  worihip,  and  from  Egypt  it  was  carried 
into  Greece,  where  it  was  ufed  in  the  myfteries  of 
Bacchus.     As  the  Hindoos  worfhip  their  god  Ifu- 
ren  under  this  figure,  and  likewife  carry  it  in  pro- 
ceffion,    the  Egyptians   and  Greeks  did  the  fame 
with  the  phallus  (La  Croze,  p.  227.)  Alfo  the  laf- 
civious  poftures  of    the   Egyptian  women  before 
their  god  Apis,  were  the  fame   with  thofe  of  the 
Hindoo  women  before  their  idols  (Ezourvedam  p. 
33)   Laftly,  the  Hindoos  chufe  their  facred  bulls 
by  the  fame  marks  that  were  ufed  by  the  Egypti- 
ans (Differtations  relating  to  Afia,  vol.  2,  p.  196.) 
The  account  of  the  flight  of  the  Egyptian  gods, 
as  given  by  the  Greeks,  and  their  concealing  them- 
felves  under  the  forms  of  animals,  bears  fome  ref- 
emblance  to  the  various  transformations  of  Vich- 
now,  of  which  an  account  will  be  given  hereafter. 
The  Egyptians  worfhipped  the  Nile,  as  the  Hin- 
doos do  the  Ganges.   Some  of  the  Hindoo  temples 
have  the  fame  remarkable  form,  viz.  that  of  a  pyra- 
mid, or  cone.     For   that    the  pyramids  of  Egypt 
had  fome   religious  ufe  can  hardly  be  doubted. 
All  the  pagoda's  are  in  that  form,  or  have  towers 
of  that  form  in  the  buildings  which  furround  them. 
The  temples  in   Pegu  are  alfo  of    a  conical  form 

(Modern 


20  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

(Modern  Univerfal  Hi/lory,  vol.  7,  p.  58.)  Sir 
William  Jones  fays  that  the  pyramids  of  Egypt, 
as  well  as  thofe  lately  difcovered  in  Ireland,  and 
probably  alfo  the  tower  of  Babel,  feem  to  have  been 
intended  for  images  of  Mahadeva,  or  Siva,  ( Dif- 
fer tations  relating  to  Aft  a,  vol.  i,  p.  34  J  Laftly, 
the  onion,  which  was  held  in  veneration  by  the 
Egyptians,  is  not  eaten  by  the  Hindoos.  (Sketches 
relating  to  the  hiflory,  &c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  2. 
p.  6.J 

Not  only  do  we  find  the  fame  general  princi- 
ples, and  the  fame,  or  fimilar,  religious  cuftoms, 
but  fome  of  the  fame  gods  among  the  Hindoos, 
Egyptians  and  Greeks.  The  Egyptian  Cneph  was 
the  Supreme  intelligence,  which  was  never  loft 
fight  of  by  the  Hindoos.  With  the  Egyptians 
I/is  represented  not  only  the  moon,  but  fometimes 
the  powers  of  nature,  which  were  fuppofed  to 
have  been  in  a  great  meafure  derived  from  the 
moon  ;  and  in  Bengal  and  Japan  alfo  the  fame  is 
called  Ifari,  or  Ifi,  and  is  defcribed  as  a  god- 
defs  with  many  arms  (Differtations  relating  to 
AJia,  vol.  i,  p.  232)  But  according  to  Sir  Wil- 
liam Jones,  If  war  a  of  the  Hindoos  is  the  Ofe- 
ris  of  the  Egyptians,  ib.  p.  49,  and  Nared,  a 
diftinguifhed  fon  of  Brahma,  refembles  Hermes,  or 
Mercury.  A  ftatue  of  Jupiter  had  a  third  eye  in 
its  forehead,  and  Seva  has  three  eyes,  ib.  p.  42. 

Difdorus 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.        21 

Diodorus  Siculus  and  Plutarch  fay  that  Ofiris  fig- 
nifies  a  perfon  that  has  many  eyes,  and  Ifuren  is 
drawn  with  an  additional  eye  in  his  forehead,  tho* 
the  phallus  is  his  ufual  form.  (Ezourvedam,  p. 
229)  Ofiris  was  faid  to  have  been  killed  by  Ty- 
phon,  and  Chib  cut  off  the  head  of  Brahma  ib. 
P-  23. 

Indra  of  the  Hindoos,  called  alfo  Divefpiter, 
is  Jupiter,  or  Diespiter;  the  bull  of  Ifwara  is  the 
Apis,  or  Ap,  of  Egypt  ( Differ  tations  relating  to 
Afia,  vol.  i,  p.  50)  Cartraya,  with  fix  faces  and 
many  eyes,  was  the  Egyptian  Orus,  and  the  Mars 
of  Italy,  ib.  p.  49.  Sri,  or  Sris,  called  alfo  Ped- 
ma,  and  Camala,  was  Ceres,  ib.  p.  30,  and  accord- 
ing to  Herodotus  (Lib.  2,  fee.  63)  fhe  was  the  E- 
gyptian  Ifis.  Ganefa  was  Janus.  (  Differ  tations 
relating  to  AJia,  vol.  i,  p.  8.)  Vifuacarman,  the 
Indian  forger  of  arms  for  the  gods,  was  Vulcan, 
ib.  p.  64.  The  Rama  of  India  is  Dionyfos,  cal- 
led alfo  Bromius  by  th^  Greeks ;  Chrifhnou,  or 
Vichnou,  is  Apollo,  and  in  Iriih  it  fignifies  the 
fun,  ib.  p.  66,  According  to  the  Veda's,  and  other 
facred  books,  a  bad  genius,  or  giant,  feizes  on 
the  fun  and  moon  when  they  are  eclipfed,  and 
the  Egyptians  afcribed  the  fame  thing  to  their  Ty- 
phon,  who  was  faid  even  to  have  fwallowed  their 
god  Horus,  or  the  Sun,  (Ezourvedam,  p.  21.) 
The  Egyptians  at  certain  feftivals  carried  the 

images 


22  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

images  of  their  gods  in  proceflion.    Herodotus  fays 
they  drew  one  of  them  on  a  carriage   with   four 
wheels,    (Lib.  2,  Sec.  63. )  and  the  fame  is  now 
done  by  the  Hindoos.     The  Egyptians  held  cows, 
in  much  greater  veneration  than  any  other  animals 
ib.fec.  41.     They  were  facred  to  Ifis,  and  never 
facrificed.    Some  fuperftitious  refpecl  was  alfo  paid 
to  horned  cattle  by  the  ancient  Perfians.     In  an  ac- 
counlof  the  Zendavefla,  Ormufd,    the  Supreme 
Being,    directs   Zerdufht  to  render  worfhip  and 
praife  to  the  Supreme  ox,  and  to  the  rain,  of  which 
the  angel  Jaflater,  who  fubfifts  in  the  form  of  an 
ox,  is  the  diftributer   (Annual  Regijler  for  1762, 
p.  117.)  The  Hindoos  make  fome  ufe  of  the  image 
of  a  bull,  as  Mr.  Sonnerat  informs  us  in  his  ac- 
count of  fome  of  their  temples,  tho*  they  do  not 
carry  their  fuperftition  in  this  refpeft  fo  far  as  the 
Egyptians,  who  made  live  bulls  the  immediate  ob- 
jects of  their  worlhip. 

Tho'  there  may  be  fomething  of  bold  conjecture, 
and  confequently  of  uncertainty,  in  fome  of  thefe 
fuppofitions,  they  feem  to  be  pretty  well  fupport- 
ed  by  the  writers  referred  to;  and  it  is  evident  on 
the  whole,  that  at  leaft  a  fyftem  very  fimilar  to 
that  of  the  prefent  Hindoos  muft  have  been  of 
very  great  antiquity,  and  prior  to  the  general  dif- 
perfion  of  mankind.  For  tho'  fimilar  fituations 
may  lead  to  fimilar  fentiments,  and  correfponding 

practices 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  fc?c.  compared.         23 

practices,  to  men  living  at  a  great  diflance  from 
each  other,  the  above  mentioned  fimilarity  is  too 
great,  and  extends  to  too  many  particulars,  to  be 
accounted  for  in  this  way. 

It  is  not  at  all  extraordinary  that  men  who  had 
no  communication  with  each  other  mould  be 
equally  worfhippers  of  the  fun,  moon  and  ftars, 
that  they  mould  fancy  deep  caverns,  or  thick 
woods,  to  be  haunted  with  fpirits,  that  particular 
rivers  mould  have  their  feveral  genii,  or  deities,  dif- 
penfing  their  waters  at  their  pleafure,  as  the  fun, 
they  might  fuppofe,  did  his  heat,  and  the  moon,  the 
ftars,  and  the  planets  their  peculiar  influences. 
But  that  they  mould  adopt  the  fame  rites  in  the 
worfhip  of  thefe  natural  deities,  and  efpecially  that 
they  mould  give  them  attributes,  and  even  names, 
fo  nearly  alike,  is  beyond  the  effe 61  of  accident. 

But  tho*  this  confideration  proves  the  great  anti- 
quity of  the  general  outline  of  the  Hindoo  religion, 
it  is  impoflible  that  a  fyftem  fo  extenfive  and  com- 
plex as  this  is,  and  implying  fuch  abftrufe  meta- 
phyfics,  mould  have  been  completed  at  a  very  ear- 
ly period.  Tho'  erroneous,  wild,  and  abfurd.  in 
the  extreme,  as  it  will  foon  be  feen  to  be,  it 
mufl  have  been  the  refult  of  much  reflection,  which 
neceflarily  requires  leifure ;  and  this  muft  have 
been  fubfequent  to  the  rudeft  ages  of  mankind.  I 
cannot  help  concluding,  therefore,  that  indepen- 
dently 


24  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

dently  of  any  pofitive  evidence,  it  could  not  have 
had  its  origin  long  before  the  time  of  Mofes.  There 
is,  confequently,  nothing  unfair  in  the  comparifon 
that  I  propofe.  Whether  Mofes  was  acquainted 
with  this  fyftem  or  not,  it  will  appear,  contrary  to 
the  opinion  of  Mr.  Langles,  that  he  was  far  from  de- 
riving any  advantage  from  it ;  and  there  is  not  in 
his  writings  any  allufious  to  books  pretended  to  be 
facred,  as  the  Veda's,  but  only  to  fuch  practice s  as 
were  common  to  the  Hindoos  and  other  heathen 
nations. 


SECTION     III. 

Of  the  Veda's,  and  other  facred  Books  of  the  Hindoos, 

THE  books  called  Veda's,  or  the  facred  books 
of  the  Hindoos,  the  antiquity  of  which  has 
been  conlidered,  are  faid  to  have  been  originally 
numerous,  but  to  have  been  reduced  to  four  by 
Vyafa.  (Diffirtations  relating  to  Afla,  Vol.  2,  p.  99) 
In  Mr.  De  la  Croze,  I  find  the  mention  of  five, 
p.  291,  and  in  imitation,  or  abridgment  of  them, 
Mr.  Langles  fuppofes  the  five  books  of  Mofes  to 
have  been  written.  However  in  the  moft  ancient 
writings  in  which  they  are  quoted,  or  referred  to, 

efpecially 


Tfofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.    compared.         25 

efpecially  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  a  work  next  in 
antiquity  and  authority  to  the  Veda's  themfelves, 
no  mention  is  made  of  more  than  three,  ib.  vol.  2, 
p.  io5.  The  fourth  Sir  William  Jones  fays  is  a 
later  compofition,  as  he  fays  is  evident  from  the  lan- 
guage in  which  it  is  written,  which  is  comparatively 
modern,  and  therefore  eafily  underftood ;  whereas 
there  are  but  f»w  Bramins  who  can  read  the  three 
firft,  ib.  vol.  i,  p.  107.  They  are  now  very  fcarce, 
but  there  are  comments  upon  them  written  in  a  very 
early  period  (Code  of  Gentoo  Laws,  Preface,  p.  22.) 

Thefe  Veda's  are  faid  by  the  Hindoos  to  have 
been  diclated  by  the  Supreme  Being,  or  at  leail  by 
Brahma,  the  creative  power,  to  the  firft  man.  Me- 
nu, who  is  the  fpeaker  in  the  Inftitutes,  fays,  what 
however  I  do  not  pretend  to  explain,  "  From  fire, 
from  the  air,  and  from  the  fun,  he  (viz.  Brahma) 
milked  out  the  three  primordial  Veda's,  named 
Rich,  Yayuch  and  Saman,  for  the  due  performance 
of  facrifice.  He  gave  being  to  time,  and  the 
divifions  of  time,  to  the  ilars  alfo,  and  to  the 
planets,  to  rivers,  oceans,  and  mountains/'  &c.  p.  4. 

From  the  French  tranflator  of  Ezourvedam,  I 
colledt  the  following  account  of  the  compofition  of 
the  Veda's.  The  fon  of  Brahma,  he  fays,  p.  113, 
retiring  to  a  defert,  compofed  the  Vedam  in  four 
books  each  being  tranfcribed  by  a  different  perfon  j 
but  the  lad  was  written  in  a  dialeft  different  from 

the 


26  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

the  three  firft.  Afterwards,  he  fays,  VyafTa  added 
a  fifth  book,  the  four  firft  being  forbidden  to  the 
Choutres,  p.  121. 

In  whatever  manner  thefe  books  were  compof- 
e<J,  nothing  can  exceed  the  encomiums  which  the 
Hindoos  make  of  them.  In  the  Inflitutes  of 
Menu  it  is  faid,  p.  357.  "  To  patriarchs,  to  deities, 
and  to  mankind,  the  fcripture  is  an  eye  giving 
conflant  light ;  nor  could  the  Veda  faflra  have 
been  made  by  human  faculties,  nor  can  it  be  mea- 
furcd  by  human  reafon."  We  fhall  foon,  howe- 
ever,  I  hope,  have  an  opportunity  of  judging  for 
ourfelves.  In  the  mean  time,  I  fhall  give  my  rea- 
ders a  fpecimen  of  the  fourth  Veda,  as  tranflated 
by  Sir  William  Jones  ( Diffirtaticns  relating  to 
Afia,  vol.  2,  p.  108.) 

"  Where  they  who  knew  the  great  one  go,  thro* 
holy  rites,  and  thro'  piety,  thither  may  fire  raifc 
me.  May  fire  receive  my  facrifices.  Myflerious 
praife  to  fire.  May  air  waft  me  thither.  May  air 
increafe  my  fpirits.  Myflerious  praife  to  air.  May 
the  fun  draw  me  thither.  May  the  fun  enlighten 
my  eye.  Myflerious  praife  to  the  fun.  May  the 
moon  bear  me  thither.  May  the  moon  receive  my 
mind.  Myfterious  praife  to  the  moon.  May  the 
plant  Soma  lead  me  thither,  may  Soma  beftow 
on  me  its  hallowed  milk  :  Myflerious  praife  to 
Soma.  May  Indra  carry  me  thither.  May  Indra 

give 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  G?c.  compared.         2j 

give  me  flrengh.  Myfterious  praife  to  Indra.  May 
water  lead  me  thither.  May  water  bring  me  the 
ftream  of  immortality.  Myfterious  praife  to  the 
waters.  Where  they  who  know  the  great  one  go. 
thro'  holy  rites,  and  thro'  piety,  thither  may  Brah- 
ma conduct  me.  May  Brahma  lead  me  to  tht 
great  one.  Myfterious  praife  to  Brahma." 

Whither  this  paflage  be  perufed  with  admirati- 
on, and  be  deemed  fublime,  as  it  may  be  by  fome, 
or  be  thought  extravagant  and  ridiculous,  as  it  will 
by  others,  it  will  not  be  eafy  to  find  a  paffage 
refembling  it  in  any  of  the  five  books  of  Mofes.  Mr. 
Langles  will  probably  look  for  its  counterpart  in 
the  book  of  Numbers,  which  is  the  fourth  of  the 
Pentatuch,  as  this  is  from  the  fourth  of  the  Veda's. 

As  Mr.  Dow's  account  of  the  Veda's  is  confi- 
derably  different  from  that  of  other  writers,  I  fhall 
give  it  unmixed  with  any  other,  from  the  Prelimi- 
nary differ tation  prefixed  to  his  Hijlory  of  Hindcf- 
tan. 

"  The  Hindoos  are  divided  into  two  religious 
fe&s,  the  followers  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Bedang, 
and  thofe  who  adhere  to  the  principles  of  Ncadir- 
fen,  and  the  firfl  are  efteemed  the  moft  orthodox 
and  the  moft  holy.  Bedang,  a  title  of  the  Shafter, 
or  commentary  on  the  Beda's.  is  compounded  of 
Bed,  fcience  and  ang,  body.  The  name  of  this 
•flutter,  therefore,  may  be  literally  tranflated  the  bo- 


i3  The  InJlitutL'.ns  of  Mofes  and 

;•)'  of  fcience.  Almofl  all  the  Hindoos  of  the  De« 
can,  and  thofe  of  the  Malabar  and  Coromandel 
coafts,  are  of  the  fed  of  the  Bedang." 

"  The  four  firft  Beda's  contain  a  hundred  thou- 
fand  a/klogues,  or  flanza's,  in  verfe,  each  of  which 
confiils  of  four  lines.  The  firft  is  called  Rug  Be- 
da,  which  fignifies  the  fcienceof  divination,  con- 
cerning which  it  principally  treats.  It  alfo  con- 
tains aftrology,  aftronomy,  natural  philofophy, 
and  a  particular  account  of  the  creation  of  matter, 
and  the  formation  of  the  world." 

"  Thefecond  Bedais  diftinguifhed  by  the  name 
of  Shcham,  which  fignifies  piety,  or  devotion,  and, 
accordingly  treats  of  all  religious  and  moral  duties. 
It  alfo  contains  many  hymns  in  praife  of  the  Su- 
preme Being,  as  well  as  verfes  in  honour  of  fubal- 
tern  intelligences." 

The  third  is  the  Judger  Beda,  which,  as  the  word 
implies,  comprehends  the  whole  fcience  of  religi- 
ous rites,  and  ceremonies,  fuch  as  fafts,  feftivals, 
purifications  penances,  pilgrimages,  facrifices, 
prayers,  and  offerings." 

"  They  give  the  appellation  of  Obatar  Bah  Be- 
da  to  the  fourth.  Obatar  fignifies  in  the  Shanf- 
crita,  the  being,  or  the  ejfence,  and  bah,  good  ;  fo  that 
Obatar  bah  is  literally  the  knowledge  of  the  good  be- 
ings ;  and  accordingly  this  book  comprehends  the 
whole  fcience  of  theology,  and  myftical  theology." 

"  The 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  G?c.  compared.         29 

-'  The  language  of  the  Obatar  Bah  Beda  is  now 
become  obfolete,  fo  that  very  few  Bramins  pretend 
to  read  it  with  propriety.  Whether  this  proceeds 
from  its  great  antiquity,  or  from  its  being  written 
in  an  uncommon  dialect  of  the  Shanfcrita,  is  hard 
to  determine.  We  are  inclined  to  believe  the  firfl 
is  the  truth,  for  we  can  by  no  means  agree  with  a 
late  ingenious  writer  (Mr.  Hoi  well)  who  affirms 
that  the  Obatar  Bah  Beda  was  written  in  a  period 
pofterior  to  the  reft  of  the  Beda's."  Since,  howe- 
ver, Sir  William  Jones  aflerts  this,  there  will  be 
no  doubt  but  that  Mr.  Dow  is  in  an  error  in  this 
refpect. 

"  Neadirfen  is  a  compound  of  nea,  fignifying 
fight,  and  dirfen  to  teach,  or  explain;  fo  that  the 
word  may  be  tranflated  an  exhibition  of  truth.  Tho' 
it  is  not  reckoned  fo  ancient  as  the  Bedang,  it  is 
faid  to  be  written  by  a  philofopher  called  Goutamy 
near  four  thoufand  years  ago.  The  philofophy 
contained  in  this  Shafler  is  very  abftrufe  and  meta- 
phyfical.  The  generality  of  the  Hindoos  of  Ben- 
gal, and  all  the  northern  provinces  of  Hindoftan, 
efteem  the  Neadirfen  a  facred  Shatter ;  but  thofe 
of  the  Decan.  Coromandel,  and  Malabar,  total- 
ly reject  it.  It  confifls  of  feven  volumes,"  the 
firft  of  which  Mr.  Dow  procured,  and  lodged  in 
the  Britifh  mufeum. 

11  The  author  of  Neadirfen  maintains  that  the 

vital 


30  The  Injiitutions  of  Mofa  and 

vital  foul  is  different  from  the  great  foul ;  and  on  this 
head  the  followers  of  the  Bedang  and  Neadirfen  prin- 
cipally differ."  The  meaning  probably  is,  that  the 
principle  of  intelligence  which  animates  the  inferi- 
or beings,  was  not  an  emanation  from  the  Supreme 
Mind,  and  is  not  to  be  abforbed  into  it  again,  which 
the  other  Hindoos  maintain. 

Befides  the  four  Veda's,  of  which  we  have  not 
as  yet  any  tranflation  into  an  European  language, 
there  are  other  Hindoo  books  which  are  allowed 
to  contain  a  faithful  account  of  their  doctrines,  and 
fome  of  thefe  we  have  in  French  or  Englifh. 
There  are  more  particularly  eighteen,  which  bear 
the  title  of  Puranams,  afcribed,  fays,  Sir  William 
Jones  to  Vyafa  whofe  philofophy  is  compared  to 
that  of  Plato  ( Differ tations  relating  to  AJia,  vol.  i, 
p.  115)  Of  thefe  the  Bogavadam  is  one.  This  work 
according  to  the  tranflator  of  Ezourvedam,  con- 
'  tains  fome  excellent  moral  precepts ;  but  he  fays 
they  cannot  compenfate  for  an  immenfe  number  of 
extravagant  abfurdities,  and  fabulous  hiftories 
which  fatigue  the  imagination,  and  excite  naufea 
p.  130-  Thefe  Puranams  muft  be  the  fame  with  the 
Auchtorr&h  B hade  of  Mr.  Holwell,  and  the  Nea- 
dirfen  of  Mr.  Dow. 

We  have  a  Code  of  Gentoo  laws  compiled  by  Hin- 
doo pundits,  or  learned  Bramins,  with  a  large  Pre- 
face,, containing  an  account  of  the  creation,  and 

other 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos ,  £?c.  cowfand.        .  q  i 

other  general  principles  of  their  faith.  Of  this 
work  I  (hall  make  great  ufe.  But  a  work  of  more 
importance  to  my  purpofe  is  entitled  Injlitutes  of 
Hindoo  laws,  or  the  Ordinances  cf  Menu,  comprizing 
the  Indian  fyjlcm  of  duties,  religious,  and  civil,  vtr- 
tally  trail/late d  from  the  original  Sanfcrit  by  Sir 
William  Jones. 

Thefe  ordinances  announce  their  being  delivered 
by  Bhrigu,  the  fon  of  Menu,  when  the  fages  of 
India  applied  to  him  for  inflruclion.  An  idea  of 
the  authority  of  this  work  may  be  conceived  from 
the  introduction  to  it,  in  which  Menu  himfelf  is 
reprefented  as  faying  concerning  Brahma,  "  He 
having  enacled  this  code  of  laws  himfelf,  taught  it 
fully  to  me  in  the  beginning.  Afterwards  I  taught 
it  Marifhi,  and  the  nine  other  holy  fages.  This 
my  fon  Bhrigu  will  repeat  the  divine  code  to  you, 
without  omiflion,"  p.  8.  After  this  we  read,  "  Bhri- 
gu,  the  great  and  wonderful,  having  thus  been  ap- 
pointed by  Menu  to  promulgate  his  laws,  addrefled 
all  the  Richi's  with  an  affedionateMnind  faying, 
Hear." 

The  work  concludes  as  follows.  "  Thus  did 
the  allwife  Menu,  who  pofTeiTes  extenfive  dominion, 
and  blazes  with  heavenly  fplendour,  difclofc  to  me, 
from  his  benevolence  to  mankind,  this  tranfcendant 
fyftem  of  laws,  which  mud  be  kept  devoutly  con- 
cealed," p.  361,  I  twill  be  feen  that  the  Bramins 

alone 


32  ^  The  Inflitutions  of  Mofes  and 

alone  have  the  cuftody  of  the  Hindoo  laws,  and 
they  were  not  to  communicate  them  to  all  the  peo- 
ple promifcuoufly.  Tho'  therefore,  we  are  not  in 
pofTeffion  of  the  Veda's,  we  may  fafely  rely  on  the 
teflimony  of  the  Hindoo  Bramins,  thus  folemnly 
given,  for  the  moil  important  of  their  doctrines. 

There  is  another  work  on  the  Hindoo  theology 
entitled  Ezour-uedam,  which  I  mall  fometimes 
quote,  tho'  Mr.  Sonnerat  fays  (Voyages,  vol.  i. 
p.  215)  that  its  importance  has  been  greatly  mag- 
nified by  Voltaire  and  others,  when  it  is  in  facl  the 
compofition  of  fome  Chriftian  miflionary ;  and 
from  the  perufal  of  it,  this  will  hardly  be  queftion- 
ed.  The  writer,  however,  from  his  long  reiidence 
in  Hindoflan,  was  probably  well  acquainted  with 
the  Hindoo  fyflem. 


SECTION 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.         33 


SECTION     IV. 


Of  the  Agreement  of  the  Hindoo  Principles  and  Tra- 
ditions, and  thofe  of  other  ancient  Nations,  with 
the  Writings  of  Mofes. 

BEFORE  I  point  out  the  difference  between 
the  inftitutions  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  and  thofe 
of  Mofes,  I  (hall  mention  fome  remarkable  parti- 
culars in  which  they  agree.  And  as  the  writings 
and  traditions  of  the  Hindoos  are  unqueftionably 
very  ancient,  they  may  be  juftly  confideredas  tef- 
timonies  in  favour  of  the  truth  of  the  Mofaic  hifto- 

T- 

La  Croze  juftly  obferves  that  the  Hindoos  have 
preferved  the  knowledge  of  the  Supreme  Being, 
when  the  Greeks,  and  other  more  polifhed  nations  in 
the  weftern  parts  of  the  world,  had  loft  fight  of  him, 
vol.  2,  p.  2,  their  attention  being  engroflcd  by  inferi- 
or objefts  of  worfhip.  Some  of  their  defcriptions  of 
the  Supreme  Being  are  juft,  and  truly  fublimc. 
In  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu  he  is  faid,  p.  201,  to 
be  "  one  whom  the  mind  alone  can  comprehend, 
whofe  cffence  eludes  the  external  organs,  who 
has  no  vifible  parts,  who  exifts  from  eternity,  the 

E  foul 


34  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

foul  of  all  beings,  whom  no  being  can  compre- 
hend." They  alfo  fay,  according  to  the  tranflator 
of  the  Ezourvedam,  p.  201,  that  "goodnefs  is  the 
very  elfence  of  God." 

The  religion  of  the  northern  European  nations 
was  in  feveral  refpecls  fimilar  to  that  of  the  Hin- 
doos, and  of  other  Eaftern  nations ;  and  in  the 
Iflandic  mythology  God  is  faid  to  be  the  author  of 
every  thing  that  exifts,  the  "  eternal,  the  living 
and  awful  Being,  who  fearches  into  concealed 
things  ;  the  Being  that  never  changes,"  and  thefe 
people  held  in  contempt  the  polytheifm  of  thofe 
who  treated  them  as  barbarians.  (Northern  Anti- 
quities, vol.  i,  p.  78,  84.)  It  is  probable  that  it 
was  not  till  the  arrival  of  Odin,  or  his  difciples, 
that  the  religion  of  the  ancient  Danes  and  Scandi- 
navians began  to  lofe  its  original  purity.  In  that 
part  of  the  world  many  perfons  after  this  time  con- 
tinued to  defpife  the  vulgar  polytheifm,  and  ad- 
hered to  their  ancient  worfhip,  ib.  p.  154. 

If  the  reprefentations  of  Mr.  Holwell  may  be 
depended  upon,  the  mod  raifed  ideas  of  the  Hin- 
doos concerning  the  Supreme  Being  fall  far  fhort 
of  thofe  that  were  entertained  by  the  Hebrews.  He 
fays  (Interejting  Hiftorical  Events,  vol.  2,  p.  46.) 
"the  Shaftah  begins  with  denying  the  prefcience 
of  God  with  refpecl;  to  the  actions  of  free  agents  ;" 
whereas  according  to  the  writings  of  Mofes,  many 

things 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,   &c,  compared.         g* 

things  are  forefeen,  and  diftin&Iy  foretold,  by 
God,  which  depend  on  the  voluntary  aclions  of 
men,  and  even  in  diftant  ages.  Alfo  the  long 
conteft,  the  following  account  of  which  Mr.  Hoi- 
well  fays  he  copied  from  the  Shaftah,  of  the  Su- 
preme Being  with  two  oppoiing  powers,  does  not 
agree  with  the  omnipotence  which  the  Hebrew 
fcriptures  uniformly  afcribe  to  him.  "  When 
the  eternal  one  began  his  intended  new  creation  of 
the  Dunneahcudah,  he  was  oppofed  by  two  mighty 
O  floors,  which  proceeded  from  the  wax  of  Brum- 
ma's  ear,  and  their  names  were  Modooand  Kytoo. 
And  the  eternal  one  contended  and  fought  with 
Modoo  and  Kytoo  five  thoufand  years,  and  he 
fmote  them  on  the  thigh,  and  they  were  loft,  and 
affimilated  with  Murto,"  vol.  2,  p.  106. 

There  was  fomething  fimilar  to  this  in  the  Per- 
fian  fyftem,  according  to  the  extracts  from  the  Zen- 
davefta.  "  Ahriman  interrupted  the  order  of  the 
univerfe,  raifed  an  army  againft  Ormufd  ;  and 
having  maintained  a  fight  againft  him  during  nine- 
ty days,  was  at  length  vanquifhed  by  Honover, 
the  divine  word,"  / 'Annual  Regijhr,  1762,  p.  126.) 

In  the  Hindoo  fyftem  the  firft  produ&km  of 
the  Supreme  Being  was  fomething  fimilar  to  the 
chaos  of  Mofes,  an  earth  covered  with  water,  and 
what  is  more  particular,  they  fpeak  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  as  moving  upon  it.  "  The  waters,"  lays 

Menu, 


36  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

Menu,  "  are  called  Nara,  becaufe  they  were  the 
produftion  of  Nara,  or  the  fpirit  of  God ;  and 
fince  they  were  his  firft  Ay  ana,  or  place  of  motion, 
he  likewife  is  named  Narayana,  or  moving  on  the 
waters,"  p.  2. 

One  of  the  Hindoo  fables,  related  by  father 
Bouchet,  bears  fome  refemblance  to  the  Mofaic  hif-r 
tory  of  paradife.  "  The  inferior  gods,  who  have 
ever  fince  the  creation  been  multiplying  themfelves 
almofl  to  infinity,  did  not  at  firfl  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  immortality.  After  numberlefs  endeavours  to 
procure  it,  they  had  recourfe  to  a  tree,  the  leaf  of 
which  grew  in  Chorcan,  or  paradife,  and  met 
with  fuccefs,  To  that  by  eating  from  time  to  time  of 
the  fruit  of  this  tree,  they  obtained  this  advantage. 
At  length  a  ferpent,  called  Chien,  perceived  that  the 
tree  of  life  had  been  found  out,  and  probably  ha- 
ving been  appointed  to  guard  it,  was  fo  exafpera- 
ted  at  being  overreached,  that  he  poured  out  a 
great  quantity  of  poifon.  The  whole  earth  felt 
the  dreadful  effects  of  it,  and  not  one  mortal  would 
have  efcaped,  had  not  the  god  Chiven,  taking  pity 
on  the  human  race,  revealed  himfelf  under  the 
fhape  of  a  man,  and  fwallowed  the  poifon."  (Ce- 
remonies of  Religion,  p.  38.) 

According  to  Tavernier,  the  Hindoos  fay  that 
the  firfl  man  was  called  Adam,  and  the  firfl  woman 
Manan-iva.  (Voyages,  vol.  2,  p.  421.  461.)  And 

according 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.        37 


according  to  Mr.  Lord,  the  Parfis  have  preferred 
an  account  of  the  creation  correfponding  to  that 
of  Mofes  in  more  particulars.  For  they  fay  that 
the  Supreme  Being  divided  the  work  of  creation 
into  fix  parts  ;  that  he  created  man  and  woman  on 
the  fixth  day  ;  that  for  their  ufe  all  other  creatures 
were  made ;  that  the  man  was  called  Adamah,  and 
the  woman  Evah.  (Religion  des  Banians,  p.  143. 
146)  They  alfo,  he  fays,  obferve  Gx  feftivals  in 
commemoration  of  the  fix  days of  creation,  ib.  192. 
Niebuhr  fays  that  the  feftivals  of  this  people 
continue  five  days  in  commemoration  of  fome  parts 
of  the  creation  (Voyages,  vol.  2,  p.  163.) 

The  evil  Being  Ahriman,  they  farther  fay,  got 
upon  the  earth  in  the  form  of  a  ferpent,  and  fedu- 
ced  the  firft  human  pair  from  their  allegiance  to 
Ormufd,  by  perfuading  them  that  he  himfelf  was 
the  author  of  all  that  exifted.  The  man  and  the 
woman  both  believing  him  became  criminal,  and 
thus  fin  will  perpetuate  itfelf  till  the  refurre&ion. 
(Extracts  from  the  Zendavejla,  Annual  Regijler,  for 
1762,  p.  127.) 

I  have  already  obferved  that  the  Hindoos  divide 
time  into  periods  of  feven  days,  and  that  they  are 
named  after  the  fame  planets  in  the  Sanfcrit,  that 
they  are  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  (Gentoo  Laws, 
preface,  p.  40.)  On  the  coafl  of  Malabar  feveral 
acls  of  worfhip  are  performed  on  Fridays  (Phillips 

account. 


3  8  The  Inftitutions  of  Mtfes  and 

account  of  Malabar,  p.  60.)  The  people  of  Siamy 
the  Jefuits  fay,  make  a  kind  of  Sunday  every  fe- 
venth  day,  fpending  it  in  prayer  and  fading.  They 
alfo  give  the  fame  names  to  the  different  days  of 
the  week  that  are  given  to  them  in  Hindoftan  (Je- 
fuits account,  p.  306.  284) 

In  agreement,  at  leaft  in  part,  with  the  account 
of  Mofes,  the  Hindoos  fay  that  in  the  firft  ages 
of  the  world  men  were  greatly  fuperior  to  the  pre- 
fent  race  both  in  the  length  of  their  lives,  and  in 
the  powers  of  body  and  mind ;  but  that,  in  confe- 
quence  of  vice,  they  gradually  declined,  (Sketches 
relating  to  the  hijiory,  &?c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  r, 
p.  296.) 

The  Hindoos  have  preferved  an  unequivocal 
tradition  of  an  univerfal  deluge.  "  The  firfl  In- 
dian hiftory,"  fays  Sir  William  Jones,  "  is  an  ac- 
count of  an  univerfal  deluge,  dreffed  in  allegory, 
(Differtations  relating  to  AJia,  vol.  i,  p.  20)  and 
the  three  firfl  avatars,  or  defcents  of  Vichnou,  re- 
late clearly  to  the  fame  event,  in  which  eight  per- 
fons  only  werefaved,"  ib.  p.  169. 

The  following  curious  account  of  this  deluge 
is  given  by  Father  Bouchet  in  his  letter  from 
Indoftan.  "  The  god  Routren,  who  is  the 
grand  deflroyer  of  all  created  beings,  refolved  one 
day  to  deftroy  all  mankind,  pretending  that  J^e  had 

jufl 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.         3$ 

jufl  reafons  for  being  dnTatisfied  with  their  behavi- 
our. This  defign  was  not  kept  fo  fecret,  but  it 
was  found  out  by  Vichnou,  the  preferver  of  all 
creatures  ;  who  difcovered  the  very  day  on  which 
the  flood  was  to  take  place.  Tho*  his  power  did 
not  extend  fo  far  as  to  fufpend  the  execution  of 
what  the  god  Routren  had  refolved  upon,  yet,  as 
he  was  the  preferver  of  all  created  beings,  he  had  a 
right  to  prevent  if  poflible,  the  pernicious  effects 
of  it,  and  he  took  the  following  method  for  that  pur- 
pofe." 

"  He  appeared  one  day  to  Sattiavarti,  his  great 
confident,  and  privately  affured  him,  that  an  uni- 
verfal  flood  would  foon  happen ;  that  the  whole 
earth  would  be  covered  with  water,  and  that  the 
defign  of  Routren  was  nothing  lefs  than  the  dif- 
truftion  of  all  mankind,  and  of  every  animal.  He 
neverthelefs  allured  him  that  he  himfelf  did  not 
need  to  be  under  any  apprehenfion  ;  for  that  in 
fpite  of  Routren,  he  would  find  an  opportunity  to 
preferve  him,  and  that  he  would  take  fuch  mea- 
lures  as  that  the  world  mould  afterwards  be  re- 
peopled.  His  defign  was  to  make  a  wonderful 
bark  rife  up  of  a  fudden,  at  a  time  when  Routren 
ihould  leaft  fufpeft  any  fuch  thing,  and  to  flore  it 
with  a  large  provifion  of  fouls,  and  feeds  of  beings, 
eight  hundred  and  forty  millions  at  leaft.  As  for 
Sattiavarti,  he  was  at  the  time  of  the  flood  to  be  on 

a  very 


40  The  Jnftitutions  of  Mojes  and 

a  very  high  mountain,    which  he  pointed  out  to 
him  very  exactly." 

"  Some  time  after  this,  Sattiavarti,  as  had  been 
foretold  him,  perceived  a  multitude  of  clouds  draw- 
ing together,  but  beheld  with  unconcern  the  ftorm 
which  was  gathering  over  the  heads  of  the  guilty  ; 
when  the  moft  dreadful  rain  that  had  ever  been 
feen  poured  down  from  the  flues,  the  rivers  fwelled, 
and  fpread  themfelves  with  rapidity  over  the  fur- 
face  of  the  whole  earth  ;  the  fea  broke  its  appoint^ 
ed  bounds,  and  mixing  with  the  rivers,  which  now 
had  left  their  channels,  foon  covered  the  highefl 
mountains.  Trees,  animals,  men,  cities,  and  king* 
doms  were  all  drowned  ;  in  a  word  all  animated 
beings  were  inflantly  deflroyed." 

"  In  the  mean  time  Sattiavarti,  with  forhe  of  his 
penitents,  had  withdrawn  to  the  appointed  moun- 
tain, where  he  waited  for  the  fuccour  which  the 
god  had  promifed  him.  However  this  did  not  pre- 
vent his  being  feized  with  fome  fhort  intervals  of 
terror ;  as  the  water  gathered  ftrength  continually, 
and  each  moment  drew  nearer  to  his  afylum. 
But  that  very  inftant,  which  he  thought  would 
have  been  his  laft,  he  faw  the  bark  that  was  to  fave 
him,  and  immediately  got  into  it  with  all  the  de- 
votees in  his  company,  and  alfo  the  eight  hun- 
dred and  forty  millions  of  fouls,  and  feeds  of  all 
beings/' 

"  The 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    £?c.  compared.         41 

«  The  difficulty  now  was  to  fleer  the  bark,  and 
preferve  it  from  the  impetuofity  of  the  waves, 
which  raged  with  prodigious  violence.  But  Vich- 
nou  took  care  of  this.  For  immediately  afluming 
the  form  of  a  fifh,  he  (leered  the  veffel  with  his  tail, 
as  though  it  had  been  a  rudder.  This  god  whoj 
was  now  both  fifli  and  pilot,  performed  his  part  fo 
well,  that  Sattiavarti  waited  very  quietly  in  his  afy- 
lum  till  fuch  time  as  the  waters  were  run  off  from 
the  furface  of  the  earth/'  (Religious  Ceremonies,  p. 


The  tranflator  of  the  Ezourvedam  fays,  vol.  2,  p. 
206,  that  according  to  the  Puranams,  eight  perfons 
efcaped  the  general  deluge.  The  Chinefe  too,  fays 
Sir  William  Jones,  (  Dijfertations  relating  to  AJiat 
vol.  i,  p.  226)  like  the  Hindoos,  believe  the  earth 
to  have  been  wholly  covered  with  water,  which 
they  defcribe  as  flowing  abundantly,  and  then 
fubfiding,  and  dividing  the  higher  from  the 
lower  ages  of  mankind  ;  that  the  divifion  of  time 
from  which  their  poetical  hiftory  begins,  preceded 
the  appearance  of  Fohi  on  the  mountain  of  Chid. 
A  learned  follower  of  Zaratufht  informed  him  that 
in  a  book  which  the  Behdins  hold  facred,  mention 
is  made  of  an  univerfal  inundation,  there  called  tht 
deluge  of  time,  ib  vol.  i,  p.  29.  And  according  to 
Mr.  Lord,  the  Parfis  fay  that  by  the  temptation 
of  Lucifer  men  became  wicked,  and  God  deftroy- 

F  «d 


4#  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ed  them  with  a  deluge,  except  a  few,  from  whom 
the  world  was  peopled  anew ;  that  the  firft  of  the 
firft  race  of  kings  was  Guiomaras,  the  fon  of  Aram, 
the  fon  of  Sem  the  fon  of  Noah,  whom  they  call  A- 
dam  Affani,  or  the  fecond  Adam,  p.  148.  By  the 
Hindoos  Noah  is  called  Vaivafwata,  the  child  of  the 
fun,  as  well  as  Satiavrattra,  and  by  the  Arabs  he 
is  called  Nuh,  ib.  vol.  i,  p.  14.  28. 

A  curious  account  of  the  intoxication  of  Noah, 
and  of  the  behaviour  of  his  three  fons  on  the  oc- 
cafion,  is  given  us  from  the  Hindoo  writings  in  the 
third  volume  of  AJiatic  Refearches,  which  tho'  I 
quoted  in  a  former  work,  I  mail  not  omit  here,  be- 
ing fo  much  to  my  prefent  purpofe. 

"  To  Satyavarman,  the  fovereign  of  the  whole 
earth,  were  boni  three  fons,  the  eldeft  Sherma,  then 
Charma,  and  the  third  Jyapcti.  They  were  all  men 
of  good  morals,  excellent  in  virtue,  and  virtuous 
deeds ;  {killed  in  he  ufe  of  weapons,  to  ftrike  with 
or  to  be  thrown,  brave  men,  eager  for  victory  in 
battle.  But  Satyavarman  being  continually  de- 
lighted with  devout  meditation,  and  feeing  his  fons 
fit  for  dominion,  laid  upon  them  the  burden  of 
government." 

"  Whilft  he  remained  honouring  and  fatisfying 
fhe  gods,  and  priefts,  and  kine,  one  day,  by  the 
a 61:  of  defliny,  the  king  having  drank  mead,  be- 
came feafelefs,  and  lay  afleep  naked.  There  was 

he 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.         43 

ne  feen  by  Charma,  and  by  him  were  his  two 
brothers  called,  to  whom  he  faid,  What  now  has 
befallen  ?  In  what  Hate  is  this  our  fire  I  By  thefe 
two  was  he  hidden  with  clothes,  and  called  to  his 
fenfes  again  and  again." 

"  Having  recovered  his  intellect,  and  perfectly 
knowing  what  had  paffed,  he  curfed  Charma ;  fay- 
ing. Thou  (hall  be  the  fervant  of  fervants.  And 
fince  thou  madeft  a  laughter  in  their  prefence,  from 
laughter  fhalt  thou  acquire  a  name.  Then  he 
gave  to  Sherma  the  whole  domain  of  the  South 
of  the  fnowy  mountain,  and  to  Jyapeti  he 
gave  all  to  the  North  of  the  fnowy  mountain  ;  but 
he,  by  the  power  of  religious  contemplation,  attain- 
ed fupreme  blifs." 

The  fourth  and  fifth  avatar  of  the  Plindoos,  Sir 
William  Jones  fays  (Dijfirtations  relating  to  A  ft  a, 
yol.  i,  p.  no)  relate  to  the  punifhment  of  impiety, 
and  the  humiliation  of  the  proud;  and  refer,  as  he 
thinks,  to  the  difperfion  from  Babel ;  •  and  thence 
he  infers  that  their  fecond,  or  filver  age  was  fubfe- 
quent  to  that  event.  Farther  than  this,  the  tnyifla- 
tor  of  Ezourvedam  fays  tha£,  in  the  Bagavadam, 
there  are,  be  fides  the  Mofaic  account  of  the  deluge, 
the  principal  circumftances  of  the  hiftory  of  lih- 
mael,  and  the  facrifice  of  Ifaac.  p.  84. 

There  are.  indeed,  feveral  things  in  the  Hindoo 
traditions  which  greatly  referable  fome  in  the  hifto- 

rj 


44  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ry  of  Abraham.  Raja  Tara,  who  is  placed  in  the 
firft  age  of  Cal  Jug,  they  fay  had  a  fon  who  apofta- 
tizedfrom  the  Hindoo  faith,  for  which  he  was  ba- 
niihed  by  his  father  to  the  Weft.  The  apoflate 
fixed  his  refidence  in  a  country  called  Mahgod, 
and  propagated  the  Jewifh  religion,  which  the  im- 
poftor  Mahomet  farther  corrupted.  (Dow's  Hijlory 
of  Hindojian,  Preface,  p.  5.) 

Brahma,  the  Hindoo  lawgiver,  very  much  re- 
(embles  Abraham  ;  and  his  wife  Saravadi,  Sarah, 
the  termination  -vadi  fignitying  lady  (Bouchet's  Let- 
ter in  Religious  Ceremonies,  p.  81.)  The  Hindoos 
alfo  relate  of  one  of  their  penitents,  that  God  re- 
quired of  him  the  facrifice  of  his  fon,  but  was  con- 
tented with  his  obedience,  and  would  not  fuffer 
him  to  put  his  fon  to  death.  Some,  however,  fay 
that  he  was  facrificed,  but  that  God  afterwards  rai- 
fed  him  from  the  dead,  ib.  p.  381. 

There  is  fomething  that  very  much  refembles 
thehiftoryof  Mofes  in  that  of  one  of  the  relations 
of  Chriften,  and  of  Chriften  himfelf,  ib.  And  in 
the  following  hiftory,  related  by  the  fame  Father 
Bouchet,  there  is  a  flriking  refemblance  to  that  of 
Job  ;  and  it  certainly  furniihes  an  argument  for 
the  very  great  antiquity  of  the  hiftory." 

"  The  gods  met  one  day  in  their  Chorcan,  or  pa- 
radife  of  delights.  Devendiren,  the  god  of  glory, 
prefided  in  this  illuilrious  affembly,  which  was 

crouded 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  6?c.  compared*        45 

crouded  with  gods  and  goddeffes.  The  mofl  fa- 
mous penitents  had  alfo  a  place  in  it,  particularly 
the  feven  chief  anchorets.  After  fome  indifferent 
diicourfe,  the  following  queftion  was  propofed, 
viz.  whether  it  was  poflible  to  find  a  faul tie fs  prince 
among  mankind.  They  almoft  all  afferted  that 
there  was  not  oae  but  was  fubjeft  to  great  vices ; 
and  the  partifans  of  this  opinion  were  headed  by 
Vichouva  Moutren.  But  the  famous  Vachichten 
oppofed  him,  maintaining  that  king  Achandiren, 
his  difciple,  had  no  fault.  On  this  Vichouva  Mou- 
tren, who  is  of  fo  imperious  a  temper  that  he  can- 
not bear  any  contradiction,  fell  into  a  great  paffion, 
and  allured  the  gods  he  would  foon  fhew  them  the 
defe&s  of  this  prince,  if  they  would  give  him  up 
to  him.  Vachichten  accepted  the  challenge,  when 
it  was  flipulated  that  he  whofe  affertion  mould  prove 
falfe  fhould  give  up  to  the  other  all  the  merit  he 
had  acquired  by  a  long  feries  of  penance.  And 
now  king  Achandiren  became  the  victim  of  this 
difpute.  Vichouva  Moutren  put  him  to  every 
kind  of  trial,  reducing  him  to  extreme  poverty, 
difpoffeffing  him  of  his  kingdom,  taking  the  life 
of  his  only  fon,  and  carrying  off  his  wife  Chanda^- 
vandi." 

Notwithstanding  all  thefe  misfortunes,  the  prince 
continued  fo  fleadfaft  in  the  practice  of  all  the  vir- 
tues, that  the  gods  themfelves,  who  put  him  to  all 

thefe 


4.6  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

thefe  trials,  would  infallibly  have  funk  under  them  ; 
and  they  rewarded  him  with  uncommon  liberality. 
They  embraced  him  one  after  another,  and  even 
the  goddelfes  made  him  their  compliments.  They 
reftored  his  wife  to  him,  and  raifed  up  his  fon  ;  af- 
ter which  Vichouva  Moutren,  purfuant  to  the  a- 
greement,  refigned  all  the  merit  he  had  acquired 
to  Vachichten,  who  made  a  prefent  of  it  to  Achan- 
diren ;  and  the  van quifhed  Vichouva  Moutren  went 
away  with  great  regret,  to  begin  again  a  long  feries 
of  penance,  in  order,  if  poflible,  to  acquire  a  flock 
of  frefh  merit."  (Religious  Ceremonies,  p.  383.) 

In  the  Hindoo  code  we  find  fome  of  the  more 
extraordinary  laws  and  cuftoms  of  the  Hebrew  na- 
tion, fuch  as  were  never  received  in  the  weftern  part 
of  the  world  ;  as  that  of  a  man  taking  the  widow 
of  his  brother,  in  order  to  keep  up  his  family. 
"  On  the  failure  of  iffue  by  the  huiband,"  fay  the 
Injlitutes  of  Menu,  "if  he  be  of  the  fervile  clafs, 
the  defired  offspring  may  be  procured,  either  by 
his  brother,  or  fome  other  Sapinda ,  on  the  wife 
who  has  been  duly  authorized.  Sprinkled  with 
clarified  butter,  filent,  in  the  night,  let  the  kinfman 
then  beget  only  one  fon,  but  a  fecond  by  no  means, 
on  the  widow  or  childlefs  wife,"  p.  253.  But  the 
condition  on  which  the  legitimacy  of  this  child  de- 
pended mufl  have  been  difficult  to  afcertain.  For 
it  is  added,  "  Should  a  wife,  even  legally  authori- 
zed 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.        47 

zed  produce  a  fon  by  a  brother,  or  any  other  Sapin- 
da  of  her  hufband,  that  fon,  if  begotten  with  impure 
defire,  the  fages  proclaim  to  be  bafe  born,  and  in- 
capable of  inheritance,"  p.  264. 

Polygamy  is  allowed  to  the  Hindoos,  as  it  was 
to  the  Hebrews.  The  following  law  relates  to  this 
cafe.  "  If  after  one  damfel  has  been  chofen,  ano- 
ther be  offered  to  the  bridegroom,  who  had  pur- 
chafed  leave  to  marry  her  from  her  next  kinfmari, 
he  may  become  the  hufband  of  both  for  the  fame 
price.  This  law  Menu  ordained/'  p.  216,  Here 
too  we  fee  that,  like  the  Hebrews,  the  hufband 
purchafed  his  wife,  inftead  of  receiving  a  fortune 
with  her. 

In  the  Hebrew  ritual  a  goat  was  turned  loofe 
into  the  wildernefs  after  the  high  prieft  had  con- 
fefTed  on  his  head  the  fins  of  the  nation  on  the  an- 
nual day  of  expiation,  and  Mr.  Maurice  fays  (In- 
dian Antiquities,  vol.  3,  p.  173)  that  the  Hindoos 
let  loofe  a  horfe  for  the  fame  purpofe. 

Laftly,  I  would  obferve  in  this  place,  that  not- 
with {landing  the  unreafonable  ftrefs  that  we  (hall 
find  the  Hindoos  lay  on  mere  external  obfervances 
of  various  kinds,  fo  that  they  muft  neceffarily  con- 
fine, and  wholly  engrofs,  the  attention  of  the  com- 
mon people,  there  are  not  wanting  in  their  writ- 
ings, fome  excellent  moral  maxims,  fimilar  to 
many  in  the  books  of  the  Old  Teftament,  which 

reprefent 


48  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

reprefent  every  thing  of  this  kind  as  infignificant 
without  moral  virtue.  The  following  are  particu- 
larly worthy  of  notice.  ' J  To  a  man  contaminated 
by  fenfuality  neither  the  Veda's,  nor  liberality,  nor 
facrifices,  nor  ftrift  obfervances,  nor  pious  'aufteri- 
ties,  will  procure  felicity ."  (Injlitutes  of  Menu,  p.  29) 
"  A  wife  man  mufl  conftantly  difcharge  all  moral 
duties  tho*  he  performs  not  conftantly  the  ceremo- 
nies of  religion ;  fince  he  falls  low  if,  while  he 
performs  the  ceremonial  acls  only,  he  difcharge  not 
his  moral  duties."  ib.  p.  115. 

A  peculiar  flrefs,  even  too  great,  is  laid  on  the 
duties  to  parents.  "  By  honouring  iiis  father, 
mother  and  fifter,  a  man  effe&ually  does  whatever 
ought  to  be  done.  This  is  the  higheft  -luty,  and 
every  other  acl;  is  a  fubordinate  duty.  All  duties  are 
completely  performed  by  that  man  by  whom  thofe 
three  are  completely  honoured ;  but  to  him  by 
whom  they  are  difhonoured,  all  other  ads  of  duty 
are  fruitlefs/'  ib.  p.  47. 


SECTION 


Thojt  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 


SECTION     V. 

Of   the  Creation,  and  the  general  Principles  of  the 
Hindoo  Philofophy. 

I\  SHALL  begin  my  detail  of  the  religious  prin- 
ciples of    the  Hindoos   with   their  account  of 
the  creation,  and  the  origin  of  things,  which  is  fo 
very  different  from  that  of  Mofes,   that  he  cannot, 
I  think,   in  this  be  thought    to   have  been  copied 
from   them.      Mr.   Langles  fays    (Difcours,   p.  7) 
of  the  authors  of  the  Hindoo  fyflem,    that  "  they 
were  venerable  inftitutors,    who  gave    the  people 
precepts  of  the  foundeft  morality,   and  metaphy- 
fics  truly  fublime,    concealed  under  the  veil  of  al- 
legory,  the  fenfe  of  which  the  bulk  of  the  people 
could  not  penetrate."     We  fhall  now  fee  how  far 
this  encomium  isjuft. 

There  is  a  confiderable  difference  of  opinion  a- 
inong  the  Hindoos  themfelves  on  the  fubjecl;  of 
creation  ;  nor  can  we  think  this  at  all  extraordi- 
nary, when  we  confider  how  much  there  is  of 
mere  imagination,  and  how  little  of  rational  evi- 
dence in  their  do&rine.  In  the  following  general 
outline,  however,  they  feem  to  bs  all  agreed. 

G  They 


50  The  Inflitutions  of  Mofes  and 

They  fay  that,  after  the  Supreme  Being  had  ex- 
ifted  alone  from  all  eternity,  he  refolved  to  pro- 
duce other  beings.  But  this  produ&ion  was  whol- 
lyfrom  his  ownfub/lance  ;  and  after  a  certain  period 
they  believe  that  every  thing  will  be  abforbed  into 
him  again,  when  he  will  exift  alone  as  before. 
There  will,  however,  be  a  fucceflion  of  thefe  cre- 
ations and  abforptions  without  end.  At  what  time 
the  firft  creation  took  place  they  do  not  fay ;  but 
according  to  them  every  thing  that  now  exifts  has 
exifted  before,  and  will  hereafter  exift  again. 

The  production  of  all  things  from  the  fubftarrce 
of  the  Divine  Being  is  thus  reprefented  by  fome  of 
the  Bramins.  Comparing  the  firft  caufe  to  a  fpi- 
der,  they  fay  the  univerfe  was  produced  by  that  in- 
fect fpinning  out  of  its  own  entrails  and  belly  ;  fo 
that  it  brought  forth  firft  the  elements,  and  then 
the  celeftial  globes,  &c.  and  that  things  are  to  con- 
tinue in  this  ftate  till  the  end  of  ages,  when  this 
fpider  will  draw  into  its  body  the  feveral  threads 
which  had  iffued  from  it,  when  all  things  will  be 
deftroyed,  and  the  world  no  longer  exift,  but  as  in 
the  belly  of  the  fpider.  (Religious  Ceremonies,  p. 

3840 

This  fcheme  may,  no  doubt,  be  called  fublime, 
as  is  every  thing  that  requires  a  great  ftretch  of  ima- 
gination, but  what  elfe  it  has  to  recommend  it  I 
do  not  fee.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  thefe  prin- 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  !3c.  compared,.        51 

ciples,  or  fimilar  ones,  found  their  way  into  Greece, 
and  formed  the  outline  of  feveral  of  their  fyftems 
of  philofophy.  Plutarch  in  his  treatife  on  the  cef- 
fation  of  the  Grecian  oracles  fays  "  Among  the 
great  number  of  gods  there  is  but  one  that  is  eter- 
nal and  immortal.  All  the  reft,  having  been  pro- 
duced in  time,  will  end  in  the  death."  And  the 
account  which  he  gives  of  the  extraordinary  report 
of  the  death  of  the  god  Pan  was  received  without 
any  mark  of  furprize.  Seneca  the  tragedian  fays 
"  Omnes  pariter  deos  perdet  mors  alt  qua"  (Her- 
cuks  Oetius.)  The  Scandinavians  alfo  fuppofed 
their  gods  to  die,  and  never  to  come  to  life  again, 
(Northern  Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  115.) 

We  learn  from  Plutarch  that  the  Perfian  Magi 
heldafyftem  fimilar  to  this.  Theopompus  fays 
that,  according  to  the  Magi,  each  of  the  gods  fub- 
dues  and  is  fubdued  by  turns,  for  the  fpace  of 
three  thoufand  years  apiece,  and  that  for  three 
thoufand  years  more  they  fight  and  deflroy  each 
others  works  ;  but  that  at  laft  Pluto  will  fail,  and 
mankind  be  happy,  and  neither  need  food  nor 
have  a  fhadow  ;  that  the  god  who  projects  thefe 
tilings  does  for  fome  time  take  his  repofe,  and  reft, 
but  that  this  time  is  not  fo  much  to  him,  altho' 
it  feems  fo  to  men  whofe  fleep  is  fhort,  De  Ifide  et 
Ofiride. 

,  A   fyftem    coming    within   the    fame    genera! 

outline, 


ga  The  Injlitutions  of  Mafes  and 

outline,  flrange  as  it  feems  to  us  at  this  day,  was 
alfo  the  philofophy  that  was  maintained  by  unbe- 
lievers in  chriftianity  from  the  time  of  Averroes. 
For  he  held  that  there  was  but  one  foul  in  the 
whole  univerfe,  and  that  after  death  all  feparate 
confcioufneffes  will  ceafe.  And  a  fyflem  very 
like  thiSj  according  to  Sir  William  Jones,  flill 
prevails  in  the  Eaft,  and  independently  of  the 
reft  of  the  Hindoo  principles. 

"A  metaphyfical  theology  he  fays  (Dijferta- 
tions  relating  to  A fia,  vol.  i,  p.  204)  was  profef- 
fed  immemorially  by  a  numerous  feel;  of  Perfians 
and  Hindoos,  and  was  carried  in  part  into  Greece, 
and  prevails  even  now  among  the  learned  MufTel- 
men.  The  modern  philosophers  of  this  perfua- 
fxon  are  called  Sufis.  Their  fundamental  tenets 
are,  that  nothing  exifts  abfolutely  but  God ;  that 
the  human  foul  is  an  emanation  from  his  effence, 
and  tho'  divided  for  a  time  from  its  heavenly 
fource,  will  be  finally  reunited  to  it  ;  that  the 
highefl  poffible  happinefs  will  arife  from  this 
union,  that  the  chief  good  of  mankind  in  this 
world  conufts  in  as  perfect  an  union  with  the  eternal 
fpirit  as  the  incumbrance  of  the  mortal  frame  will 
allow  ;  and  that  for  this  purpofe  he  fhould  break 
all  connection  with  external  objeds,  and  pafs  thro* 
life  without  attachments.  Such,"  fays  he,  "  is  the 
religion  of  the  modern  Perfian  poets,  the  Vedan- 

ti 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  Compared.        r* 

tt  philofophers,  and  the  befl  Lyric  poets  of  India ; 
and  as  it  was  a  fyilem  of  the  highefl  antiquity  in 
both  nations,  it  may  be  added  to  the  many  proof* 
of  an  immemorial  affinity  between  them." 

In,  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu  we  have  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  origin  of  things.  Having  def- 
cribed  the  Supreme  being  as  was  reprefented  be- 
fore, viz.  as  "  him  whom  effence  eludes  the  exter- 
nal organs,  who  exifted  from  eternity,  whom  no 
being  can  comprehend"  &c.  Menu  fays,  that  "  ha- 
ving willed  to  produce  various  beings  from  his  own 
divine  eflence,  he  firft,  with  a  thought  created  the 
waters,  and  placed  in  them  a  productive  feed.  This 
feed  became  an  egg,  bright  as  gold,  and  in  this 
egg  he  was  born  himfelf  in  the  form  of  Brahma, 
the  great  father  of  all  fpirits.  In  this  egg  the  great 
power  fat  inactive  a  whole  year,  at  the  clofe  of 
which  he  caufed  the  egg  to  divide  itfelf,  and  from 
its  two  divifions  he  framed  the  heavens  above,  and 
the  earth  beneath.  In  the  midft  he  placed  the  fub- 
tle  ether,  the  eight  regions,  and  the  permanent  re- 
ceptacle of  waters.  From  the  fupreme  foul  he 
drew  forth  mind,  exifting  fubftantially,  tho'  un» 
perceived  by  fenfe,  immaterial/'  p.  2,  &c. 

Thus  we  fee  both  matter  and  fpirit  derived  from 
the  fame  fource,  viz.  the  divine  effence.  Agreea- 
bly to  this,  La  Croze,  in  his  account  of  the  fyf* 
tern  fays,  p.  275,  "  The  Supreme  Being  having 

determined 


54  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

determined  to  create  mattter,  was  obliged  to  give 
himfelf  a  material  form,  fmce  a  pure  fpirit  cannot 
acl;  upon  corporeal  fubftance." 

The  pundits  who  compiled  the  Code  of  Gentoo 
laws  do  not,  in  their  account  of  the  creation,  fay 
that  Birmha  was  the  Supreme  Being  himfelf;  but,  as 
may  be  inferred  from  their  language,  a  being  as  dif- 
tincl:  from  himfelf  as  the  earth  and  the  heavens,  which 
they  fay  were  produced  before  him.  "  The  princi- 
ple of  truth"  meaning,  no  doubt,  the  Supreme 
Being,  they  fay,  "  having  firft  formed  the  earth,, 
and  the  heavens,  and  the  waters,  and  fire,  and  air, 
produced  a  being  called  Burmha,  a  dewtah,  or  ob- 
ject of  worfhip,  for  the  creation  of  all  beings, 

P-99- 

But  according  to  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  tho* 

this  Birmha  was  the  immediate  author  of  four  dif- 
ent  races  of  men,  or  cafls,  of  which  an  account 
will  be  given  hereafter,  he  produced  another  per- 
fon  called  Menu,  who  is  reprefented  as  having  dic- 
tated thefe  Inftitutes,  for  the  production  of  other 
beings.  "  Having"  he  fays,  p.  6,  "  divided  his  own 
fubftance,  the  mighty  power  became  half  male 
and  half  female,  and  from  that  female  he  produced 
Viraj.  Know  me  to  be  that  perfon  whom  the  male 
Viraj  produced  by  himfelf,  me  the  framer  of  all 
this  vifible  world.  It  was  I  who,  defirous  of  giv- 
ing birth  to  a  race  of  men,  firft  produced  ten  lords 

of 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.         55 

of  created  being,  eminent  in  holinefs,  Marijhi, 
Atri,  Angiras,  Palajlya,  Pulaha,  Cratu,  Prachitas, 
or  Darcha,  Vafijhtha,  Bhrigu,  and  Narada.  They, 
abundant  in  glory,  produced  feven  other  Menu's, 
together  with  deities,  and  the  manfions  of  deities, 
and  Maharfhis,  or  great  fages,  unlimited  in  power, 
benevolent  genii,  and  fierce  giants,  blood  thirfty 
favages,  heavenly  quirifters,  nymphs,  and  demons, 
huge  ferpents,  and  fnakes  of  fmaller  fize,  birds  of 
mighty  wing,  and  feparate  companies  of  Pitris,  or 
progenitors  of  mankind,  lightnings  and  thunder- 
bolts, clouds  and  coloured  bows  of  Indra,  falling 
meteors,  earth  rending  vapours,  comets  and  lumina- 
ries of  various  degrees,  horfefaced  fy  Ivans,  apes,  fifh, 
and  a  variety  of  birds,  tame  cattle,  deer,  men,  and 
ravenous  beads,  with  two  rows  of  teeth,  fmall  and 
large  reptiles,  moths,  lice,  fleas,  and  common  flies, 
with  every  biting  gnat,  and  immoveable  fubflances 
of  diftindl  forts.  Thus  was  this  whole  affcmblage 
of  flationary  and  moveable  bodies  framed  by  thofe 
high  minded  beings,  thro'  the  force  of  their  own 
devotion,  and  at  my  command  with  feparate  aclions 
allotted  to  each."  p.  6. 

According  to  other  accounts,  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing reproduced  himfelf,  not  in  one  form  only,  viz. 
that  of  Birmha,  but  in  three,  viz.  Birmha,  with  a 
power  of  creating,  Vichnou,  with  that  of  preferving, 
and  Sieb  that  of  deftroying,  the  laft  being  fometimes 

called 


56  Tht  Inftitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

called  Ifuren  and  alfo  Ruddery  (Lord,  p.  50)  All 
the  three  are  by  the  Malabarians  called  Dirumur- 
tigoi.  (Phillip's  account  of  Malabar,  p.  4.) 

Vichnou,  the  fecond  perfon  in  this  Hindoo  trini- 
ty, is  faid  to  have  undergone  nine  fucceffive  incar- 
nations, to  deliver  mankind  from  fo  many  perilous 
fitualions.  The  firft  they  fay  was  in  the  form  of  a 
lion,  the  fecond  of  a  hog,  the  third  a  tortoife,  the 
fourth  a  ferpent,  the  fifth  that  of  Bramin,  (a  dwarf, 
afoot  and  a  half  high)  the  fixth  a  monfter,  viz. 
half  man  and  half  lion,  the  feventh  a  dragon,  the 
eighth  a  man  born  of  a  virgin,  and  the  ninth  an  ape. 
Bernier  adds  a  tenth,  which  is  to  be  that , of  a  great 
cavalier,  (Voyage,  vol.  2,  p.  14.2)  A  very  particu- 
lar and  a  very  different  account  of  thefe  transfor- 
mations is  given  by  Mr.  Sonnerat  (Voyages,  vol.  i. 
p.  158,  &c.)  with  curious  reprefentations  of  each 
of  them. 

Mr.  Holwell's  account,  which  he  fays  he  found 
in  the  Shaftah,  is  very  different  from  that  given 
above,  and  is  as  follows  :  "  The  eternal  one  formed 
other  beings  in  part  of  his  own  efTence'"  (but  he 
mentions  no  other  fource  of  being)  "  firft  Birmah, 
JSijlnoo,  and  Sieb.  To  Birmah  he  affigncd  the 
power  of  government  and  glory,  to  Biflnoo  works 
of  tendernefs  and  benevolence,  to  Sieb  works  of 
terror,  feverity  and  deftru&ion.  He  then  formed 
Moifafoor,  and  the  Debtak  logue,  or  the  angelic 

hoft, 


Thoft  of  ike  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.        gj 

haft,  fabje6Hng  them  to  Birmah,  whom  he  alfo 
conftituted  his  vicegerent  in  heaven,  and  Biftnoo 
and  Sieb  his  coadjutors." 

"  After  this,  part  of  the  angelic  hod  rebelled, 
and  were  diiven  from  the  face  of  God;  but,  at  the 
interceflion  of  the  remaining  faithful  bands,  he  foft- 
ened  the  rigour  of  his  fentence,  and  inftituted  a 
courfe  of  purgation.  This  being  intimated  to  them 
by  Birmah,  they  received  it  with  gratitude,  except 
the  leaders,  who  in  time  regained  their  influence 
over  the  reft,  and  confirmed  them  in  their  delin- 
quency :  At  lafl  Eouanntt  Drugah,  one  of  the  Hin- 
doo deities,  is  to  defcend  on  the  earth,  and  to  def- 
troy  Moifafoor  and  his  adherents.  Thefe  fallen  fpi- 
rit?  are  thofe  that  now  animate  the  bodies  of  men, 
animals,  and  vegetables"  (Interejling  Hijlorical 
Events,  vol.  2,  p.  8,  10,  35,  192.) 

According  to  Mr.  Dow,  the  author  of  the  Be- 
dang  maintains  that  the  world  was  created  by  God 
out  of  nothing,  and  that  it  will  again  be  annihila- 
ted, p.  53.  But  both  thefe  accounts  differ  fo  much 
from  thofe  contained  in  the  writings  of  the  Hin- 
doos, that  have  lately  been  tranflated,  all  of  which 
reprefent  the  creation  as  an  emanation  from  the 
fubftance  of  the  deity,  that  I  am  not  difpofed  to 
pay  much  regard  to  them.  The  account  of  the 
fallen  angels  is -peculiar  to  Mr,  Hclweil.  Other 

H  -accounts 


58  '  The  In/litutwns  of  Mofes  and 

accounts  of  the  creation  may  be  feen  in  Mr.  Son- 
nerat,  vol.  i,  p.  281. 

From  the  idea  of  the  neceffity  of  the  mutual  ac- 
tion of  the  male  and  female  principles  to  the  pro- 
duclion  of  all  beings,  the  Hindoos,  like  the  Egyp- 
tians, were  led  to  form  a  very  indecent  reprefenta- 
tion  of  the  creative  power,  who  as  La  Croze  fays, 
p.  275,  "  containing  within  himfelf ;  all  the  princi- 
ples of  the  creatures,  and  the  reality  of  the  two 
fexes,  feparated  them  within  himfelf,  and  therefore 
under  this  figure,  called  lingam,  reprefenting  the 
male  and  female  organs,  they  denote  the  creator; 
and  their  mofl  folemn  worfhip  is  prefented  to  him 
under -this  form."  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that 
itaS'  the,  third  perfon  in  their  trinity,  or  the  deftruc- 
tive*and  not  the  generative  power,  that  is  particu- 
larly wQrfhipped  under  this  form. 

Since  it  will  not  be  denied  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  that  the  whole  of  this  fyftem,  the  particu- 
lars of  which  I  have  only  begun  to  develope,  was 
the  mere  creature  of  imagination,  there  would  fure- 
Jy  have  been  more  wifdom  in  faying  lefs  on  a  fub- 
je&  concerning  which  nothing  can  be  known.  And 
iuppofing  Mofes  to  have  written  without  any  in- 
fpiration,  his  fyflem  has  this  to  recommend  it,  that, 
befides  being  very  concife,  it  is  not,  like  this,  built 
on  arbitrary  and  fanciful  fuppofitions.  It  repre- 
fents  the  Supreme  Being  producing  all  things  not 

fron* 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.         r$ 

from  his  own  fubftance,  but  from  nothing,  with  as 
much  eafe  as  if  it  had  been  effected  by  a  mere 
word  of  command;  and  this  exertion  of  power 
was  immediately  from  himfelf,  without  the  previ- 
ous fubftitution  of  any  other  Beings,  or  dividing 
himfelf  into  three,  or  any  number  of  parts,  for  the 
purpofe  of  creating  or  governing  the  world,  and 
fuperintending  all  the  changes  that  take  place  in  it. 
If,  as  Mr.  Langles  fays,  there  befublimiiy  in  the 
Hindoo  fyftem,  there  muft  be  more  of  it  in  that 
of  Mofes,  becaufe  it  is  equally  great  in  the  efFeft, 
and  far  more  fimple  in  the  caufe,  and  the  operati- 
on. It  exhibits  one  great  object  of  our  regard, 
and  not  a  multiplicity  of  them,  in  which  the  idea 
of  the  fublime  is  loft  by  the  divifion.  They  who 
fuppofe  it  neceffary,  or  convenient,  for  the  Supreme 
Being  to  employ  inferior  agents  in  the  works  of 
creation  and  providence  muft  have  a  lels  exalted 
idea  of  him  than  they  who  believe  that,  without 
any  thing  like  fatigue,  or  occafion  for  repofe,  be 
himfelf  originally  formed,  and  constantly  conducts, 
the  whole. 

The  Hindoos,  however,  conceive  that  there 
is  more  of  dignity  in  the  Supreme  Being  doing 
nothing  himfelf,  but  rather  employing  inferior 
agents.  The  bramins  of  Malabar  told  Mr.  Lord, 
that  it  did  not  become  the  majefty  of  God  to  dc- 
.mean  himfelf  fo  much  as  to  make  the  creatures, 

when 


60  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

when  he  could  do  it  by  his  miniflers,  p.  49.  But 
if  a  great  prince  could  with  perfect  eafe,  and  with- 
out the  leaft  fatigue,  do  all  the  bufmefs  of  a  great 
empire  himfelf,  it  would  certainly  give  us  a  higher 
idea  of  his  power  and  capacity ;  and  if  the  work 
had  great  utility  for  its  object,  that  conduct  would 
not  fuggeft  the  idea  of  meannefs,  but  of  the  great- 
eft  benevolence.  They  are  little  minds  who  rea* 
fon  like  thefe  bramins. 

In  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  we  have  the  follow- 
ing fublime  idea  (if  fuch  language  muft  be  ap- 
plied to  extreme  abfurdity)  of  the  fucceffive  revolu- 
tions in  the  fyftem  of  things.  "  He  whofe  power 
is  incomprehenfible,  having  thus  created  both  me, 
and  this  univerfe,  was  again  abforbed  in  the  Su- 
preme fpirit,  changing  the  time  of  energy  for  a  time 
of  repofe.  When  that  power  awakes,  then  has  this 
world  its  full  expanfion ;  but  when  he  flumbers 
with  a  tranquil  fpirit,  then  the  whole  fyftem  fades 
away.  For  when  he  repofes  in  a  calm  fleep  embo- 
died fpirits,  endued  with  principles  of  aftion,  depart 
from  their  feveral  ads,  and  the  mind  itfelf  becomes 
inert ;  and  when  they  are  once  abforbed  in  that 
fupreme  effence,  then  the  divine  foul  of  all  beings 
withdraws  its  energy,  and  placidly  flumbers.  Thus 
that  immutable  power,  by  waking  and  repofmg 
alternately,  revivifies  and  deftroys  in  eternal  fuc- 
ceffion,  this  whole  affemblage  of  locomotive  and 
immoveable  creatures,"  p,  7,  8.  That 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  (3c.  compared.        6l 

That  we  may  form  fome  idea  of  the  time  that 
intervenes  between  thefe  alternate  creations  and 
diffolutions  of  all  things,  we  have,  from  the  fame 
authority,  an  account  of  the  divifion  of  time  as  it 
refpefts  different  orders  of  beings.  "  A  month  of 
mortals  is  a  day  and  a  night  of  the  Pitrfs,  or  patri- 
arcs  inhabiting  the  moon.  A  year  of  mortals  is 
a  day  and  a  night  of  the  gods,  or  regents  of  the  uni- 
verfe  round  the  north  pole.  Twelve  thoufand 
divine  years  is  called  the  age  of  the  gods,  and  a 
thoufand  fuch  years  is  a  day  of  Brahma.  His  night 
has  equal  duration.  At  the  clofe  of  his  night,  hav- 
ing long  repofed,  he  awakes,  and  awaking  exert* 
intellect,  or  reproduces  the  great  principle  of  ani- 
mation. The  intellect  called  into  action  by  his 
will  to  create  worlds  performs  again  the  work  of 
creation.  The  age  of  the  gods,  or  twelve  thoufand 
of  their  years,  being  multiplied  by  feventy  one,  con- 
ftitutes  a  menwantara,  or  the  reign  of  a  Menu. 
Thefe  are  numberlefs  menwantara's,  creations  alfo, 
and  deftru&ions  of  worlds  innumerable.  The  Be- 
ing fupremely  exalted  performs  all  this  as  if  in  fport 
again  and  again,"  p.  9,  &c. 

According  to  Mr.  Dow,  the  Bedang  teaches  that 
when  the  four  jugs  have  revolved,  Rudder,  with 
the  ten  fpirits  of  diflblution,  will  roll  a  comet  un- 
der the  moon,  that  will  involve  all  things  in  fire, 
and  reduce  the  world  to  afhes.  God  will  then  ex- 

ift 


62  The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and 

ift  alone,  for  matter  will  be  totally  annihilated, 
p.  48.  The  author  of  Neadirfen,  he  fays,  main- 
tains that  the  world  is  fubjedfc  to  fucceffive  diffolu- 
tions  and  renovations  at  certain  dated  periods.  He 
divides  thefe  diffolutions  into  the  leffer  and  the 
greater.  The  leffer  diffolution  will  happen  at  the 
end  of  a  revolution  of  the  jugs.  The  world  will 
then  be  confumed  by  fire,  and  the  elements  will 
be  jumbled  together;  and  after  a  certain  fpace 
of  time  they  will  again  refume  their  former  order. 
When  a  thoufand  of  thefe  fmaller  diffolutions  have 
happened,  a  Mapherley,  or  great  diffolution,  will 
take  place.  All  the  elements  will  then  be  reduced 
to  their  original  purmans,  or  atoms,  in  which  flate 
they  will  long  remain.  God  will  then  from  his 
mere  goodnefs  and  pleafure,  reflore  bi/liejh,  or  plaf- 
ticity.  A  new  creation  will  arife,  and  thus  things 
have  revolved  in  fucceflion  from  the  beginning,  and 
will  continue  to  do  fo  to  eternity,  p.  72. 

If  We  afk  for  fome  authority  for  this  wonderful 
fcheme,  the  learned  bramins  are  entirely  filent. 
Jt  is  a  fcheme  of  mere  fancy.  But  overlooking  this 
objection,  there  is  certainly  more  of  dignity,  and 
•the  true  fublime,  in  the  dodrine  of  the  fcriptures, 
which  reprefent  the  Divine  Being  as  never  Jlumbtr- 
ing  orjleeping,  that  the  work  of  creation,  whe- 
ther it  had  a  beginning,  or  was,  like  its  author, 
from  all  eternity,  is  for  ever  progreffive  ;  continu- 
ally 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.        Q$ 

ally  advancing  from  imperfect  to  perfect,  and  that 
the  object  of  the  whole  is  not  the  fport  of  the  cre- 
ator, but  the  happinefs  of  the  univerfe. 

That  different  accounts  of  fo  complex  and  fan- 
ciful a  fyftem  as  that  of  the  Hindoos  mould  be  gi- 
ven by  different  bramins  will  not  be  thought  ex- 
traordinary, and  therefore  the  veracity  of  travellers, 
who  had  no  apparent  motive  to  falfify,  and  yet 
give  different  reprefentations  of  it,  is  not  haftily  to 
be  called  in  queflion. 

According  to  Mr.  Lo'rd,  p.  47,  the  firft  human 
pair  had  four  fons,  each  deflined  to  a  different  pro- 
feffion -;  but  their  wives  had  a  feparate  creation, 
each  of  the  fons  being  ordered  to  proceed  in  a  dif- 
ferent direction,  where  they  met  with  them,  and 
then  returned  to  their  parents.  After  this  their  pof- 
terity  becoming  very  wicked,  the  Supreme  Being 
deflroyed  them  by  an  univerfal  deluge.  After 
this,  there  iffued  from  the  two  fides  of  Brahma, 
who  experienced  all  the  pains  of  parturition,  ano- 
ther man  called  Manou,  and  another  woman,  who 
had  three  fons  and  three  daughters ;  and  from  them 
the  world  was  peopled  anew,  p.  57.  Here  are  e~ 
vident  traces  of  Noah  and  his  three  fons. 

The  Hindoo  account  of  the  creation  is  not  more 
fanciful  than  other  articles  of  their  philofophy. 
From  them  it  is  probable  that  the  Weftern  nations 
derived  their  idea  of  two  principles  in  man>  and  even 

that 


64  The  Inftifations  of  Mofes  and 

that  of  a  divifion  of  the  intellectual  principle  in* 
to  two  parts.  This  do&rine,  and  that  of  the  re- 
lation of  thofe  principles  to  the  great  foul  of  the 
univerfe,  is  contained  in  the  following  paflage  of 
the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  346.  "  That  fubftance 
which  gives  a  power  of  motion  to  the  body,  the 
wife  call  efchetraynja,  or  jevatman,  the  vital  fpirit, 
and  that  body  which  thence  derives  a&ive  fun&i- 
ons  they  name  bhutatman,  or  compofed  of  elements. 
Another  internal  fpirit,  called  Mahat,  or  the^mztf 
foul,  attends  the  birth  of  all  creatures  embodied, 
and  thence  in  all  mortal  forms  is  conveyed  a  per- 
ception either  pleafmg  or  painful.  Thofe  two,  the 
vital  fpirit,  and  reafonable  foul,  are  clofely  united 
with  the  five  elements,  but  connected  with  the  Su- 
preme Spirit,  or  divine  effence,  which  pervades  all 
beings,  high  and  low.  From  the  fubftance  of  that 
Supreme  Spirit  are  diffufed,  like  fparks  from  fire, 
innumerable  vital  fpirits,  which  perpetually  give 
motion  to  creatures  exalted  and  bafe." 

The  great  fuperiority  of  the  fpiritual  to  the  cor- 
poreal part  of  man  is  the  fundamental  doctrine  of 
the  Hindoo  fyftem  ;  and  hence  the  fatisfadion  the 
Hindoos  always  exprefs  on  the  feparation  of  them. 
The  contempt  for  the  body  is  ftrongly  expreffed  in 
the  following  paflage  of  the  Inftitutes.  "  A  man- 
fion  with  bones  for  the  rafters  and  beams,  with 
nerves  and  tendons  for  cords,  with  mufcles  and 

blood 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos,  6?c.  compared.        6< 

blood  for  mortar,  with  fkin  for  its  outward  cover* 
ing,  filled  with  no  fweet  perfume,  but  loaded  with 
feces  and  urine  ;  a  manfion  infefted  by  age  and  by 
forrow,  the  feat  of  malady,  harraffed  with  pains, 
haunted  with  the  quality  of  darknefs,  and  incapa- 
ble of  {landing  long ;  fuch  a  manfion  of  the  vital 
foul  let  its  occupier  always  chearfully  quit/'  p.  155. 

The  followers  of  Fo  alfo  regard  the  body  with 
great  contempt,  and  neglect  the  prefervation  of  it. 
They  therefore  often  kill  themfelves.  The  people 
of  Siam  think  fuicide  an  advantage  to  the  foul, 
and  often  hang  themfelves  on  a  tree  called  Ton-po 
(Ezourvedam,  vol.  2,  p.  40.) 

From  the  Indian  philofophy  it  is  probable  that 
the  Manicheans  had  their  idea  of  an  original  dif- 
ference in  fouls,  fome  being  neceffarily  good,  and 
others  bad.  For  this  is  clearly  expreffed  in  the  fol- 
lowing pafTage  of  the  Inilitutes  of  Menu,  p.  5. 
"  In  whatever  occupation  the  Supreme  Being  firfl 
employed  any  vital  foul,  to  that  occupation  the 
fame  foul  attaches  itfelf  fpontaneoufly,  when  it  re- 
ceives a  new  body,  again  and  again.  Whatever 
quality,  noxious  or  innocent,  harfh  or  mild,  unjuft 
orjuft,  falfeortrue,  be  conferred  on  any  being  at 
its  creation,  the  fame  quality  enters  it  of  courfe  on 
its  future  births." 

That  all  nature  is  animated,  and  that  the  fouls  which 
animate  the  lowed  forms  of  things  arc  capable  of 
.  ,  I 


66  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

rifing  to  the  higheft  flate,  is  aflerted  in  this  work. 
"  The  fouls  that  animate  worms  and  infers,  fer- 
pents,  moths,  beafls,  birds  and  vegetables,  attain 
heaven  by  the  power  of  devotion,"  p.  340. 

The  Hindoo  philofophy  of  the  phyfical  or  cor- 
poreal world  is  not  more  rational  than  that  of  the 
intellectual.  According  to  the  Veda's,  the  moon 
is  much  higher  than  the  fun.  (Ezourvedam,  vol  i. 
p.  260)  According  to  Mr.  Bernier,  the  Veda's 
teach  that  a  certain  dewtah,  a  kind  of  corporeal 
divinity,  feizes  on  the  fun  at  the  time  of  an  eclipfe ; 
that  the  fun,  tho'  himfelf  a  dewtah,  is  then  in  great 
pain  and  anguifh,  and  that  prayers,  bathing  and  alms, 
are  the  means  of  effecting  his  deliverence.  Alms 
given  at  that  time,  they  fay,  are  worth  a  hundred 
times  as  much  as  if  they  were  given  at  any  other.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  faw  a  river  crouded  with  people  of 
all  ranks,  bathing  at  the  time  of  an  eclipfe,  and 
throwing  water  towards  the  fun,  vol.  2,  p.  107. 

The  Hindoos  fay  that  the  general  fyftem  con- 
fifts  of  fourteen  Bhooboons,  or  fpheres,  feven  below, 
and  fix  above  that  of  the  earth.  The  feven  inferior 
worlds  are  inhabited  by  an  infinite  variety  of  fer- 
pents,  defcribed  in  every  monftrous  form  that  the 
imagination  can  fuggeft.  The  earth  is  called  Bhoor, 
and  mankind  who  inhabit  it  Bhoor  logue.  The 
fpheres  gradually  afcending  from  thence  are  Bobur, 
whofe  inhabitants  are  called  Bobur  logue?  thofe  of 

the 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.        67 

the  fecond  Swcigeh  logue,  thofe  of  the  third  Ma- 
hur  logue,  thofe  of  the  fourth  Junney  logue,  thofe 
of  the  fifth  Juppeh  logue  and  thofe  of  the  fixth 
Suttee  logue. 

The  Bobur  is  the  vault  of  the  vifible  heavens,  in 
which  the  fun,  moon  and  ftars  are  placed.  The 
Swcigeh  is  the  firfl  paradife,  and  general  receptacle 
of  thofe  who  merit  a  removal  from  the  lower  earth. 
The  Mahur  logue  are  the  Faquirs,  and  fuch  per- 
fons  as  by  the  dint  of  prayer  have  acquired  an  ex- 
traordinary degree  of  fandity.  The  Junneh  logue, 
are  alfo  the  fouls  of  pious  and  moral  men  ;  and 
beyond  this  fphere  they  are  not  fuppofed  to  pafs 
without  fome  uncommon  merit  and  qualifications. 
The  fphere  of  Juppeh  is  the  reward  of  thofe  who 
have  all  their  lives  performed  fome  wonderful  aft 
of  penance  and  mortification,  or  who  have  died 
martyrs  for  their  religion.  The  Suttee  or  highefl 
fphere,  is  the  refidence  of  Birmah,  and  his  parti- 
cular favourites.  This  is  the  place  of  deftination 
for  thofe  men  who  have  never  uttered  a  falfehood 
during  their  whole  lives,  and  for  thofe  women 
who  have  voluntarily  burned  themfelves  with  their 
hufbands.  (Preface  to  the  Gentoo  Laws,  p.  45.) 
Thefe  different  fpheres,  or  worlds,  the  Hindoos 
fupp6fe  to  be  connected  by  a  mountain,  which 
they  call  Merou,  and  of  which  they  relate  many 
wonders.  (La  Croze,  p.  283.) 

la 


68  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

In  this  earth,  they  fay,  there  are  feven  conti- 
nents, or  great  portions  of  land;  called  deeps  or 
dwifs,  and  not  fo  diftant  but  they  have  fome  com- 
munication. For  according  to  the  pundits  who 
compiled  the  Gentoo  laws,  the  bird  Kcraer  brought 
a  man  from  the  Shakud  deep,  which  is  the  fixth  in 
order,  and  caft  him  down  on  the  jfumboo  deep,  the 
firft  in  order,  or  that  which  the  Hindoos  inhabit, 
and  the  tribe  that  fpruiig  from  him  they  call  DeiouL 
The  length  of  the  Jumboo  deep  they  make  to  be 
a  hundred  thoufand  jfoojun,  that  of  the  next  twice 
as  much,  the  next  in  the  fame  duplicate  proporti- 
on, till  we  come  to  the  laft,  which  they  fay  is  lixty- 
four  times  as  large  as  this.  (Code  of  Gentoo  Laws, 
p.  104.) 

Thefe  deeps,  or  continents,  they  fay  are  fur- 
rounded  by  as  many  feas,  one  of  which  is  of  milk, 
another  a  folution  of  fugar,  and  others  confifting 
of  other  liquors,  (La  Croze,  p.  284)  and  accord- 
ing  to  them  the  water  of  our  fea  was  once  fweet, 
but  having  been  drunk  by  Agejia,  and  voided  in 
the  form  of  urine,  it  became  fait.  (Izourvedam, 
vol.  i,  p.  26.) 

We  are  not  to  confider  all  the  popular  notions 
of  the  Hindoos  as  parts  of  their  religion,  and  there- 
fore I  do  not  give  the  following  account  of  the 
Amrcutan  as  fuch ;  but  it  is  amufing,  as  it  fhews 
the  wonderful  powers  of  their  imagination,  and  the 

eafinefs 


Thofe  °f  th*  Hindoos,  6?c.  compared.        69 

eafinefs  of  their  faith.     The  gods  and  the  giants 
having  applied  to  Vichnou  for  directions  to  pre- 
cure  the  Amroutan  (a  liquid  the  drinking  of  which 
gives  immortality)  he  bad  them    take  the  moun- 
tain Mondora,  and  taking  the   ferpent  Bachaki  for 
a  cord,  to  churn  the  ocean.     In  attempting  this 
the  mountain  funk,  on  which  the  god  Vichnou 
transformed  himfelf  into  a  tortoife,  and  raifed  the 
mountain,  by  getting  under  it ;  and  there  it  feems 
he  continued  fome  time.      For   they  fay  that  the 
friction  given  to  him  by  the  whirling  round  of  the 
mountain  in  the  operation  of  churning  made  him 
fleep,  while  the  motion  it  gave  to  the  ocean  is  the 
caufe  of  its  flux  and  reflux,  which  continues   tho* 
the  churning  has  long  ceafed.     The  firft  effect  of 
this  operation  was  the  production  of  a  fine  horfe, 
after  that  came  two  beautiful  women,  whom  Vich- 
nou took  to  himfelf,  and  at  length  came  the  Am- 
routan.     The  giants,    however,  were  cheated    of 
their  mare  of  it  by  the  gods,  and  attacked  them ; 
but  having  the  difadvantage  of  being  mortal,  they 
were  put  to  flight,   ib.  vol.  i,  p.  53,  69. 

Having  given  this  account  of  the  phyfical  fyf- 
tern  of  the  Hindoos,  I  (hall  add  a  curious  fpeci- 
men  of  their  Metaphyjics,  and  that  from  the  firft 
authority,  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  which  abounds 
with  matter  not  at  all  more  intelligible  then  this  ; 
but  my  readers  muft  not  expect  from. me  any  elu- 
cidation of  it.  "  From 


70  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

"  From  the  fupreme  foul"  as  quoted  before 
"  he  drew  forth  mind,  exifting  fubftantially,  tho" 
unperceived  by  fenfe,  immaterial ;  and  before  mind, 
or  the  reafoning  power,  he  produced  confciouf- 
nefs,  the  internal  monitor,  the  ruler.  And  be- 
fore them  both  he  produced  the  great  principles  of 
the  foul,  or  firft  expanfion  of  the  divine  idea,  and  all 
vital  forms,  endued  with  the  three  qualities  of  good- 
nefs,  paffion,  and  darknefs,  and  the  five  perceptions 
of  fenfe,  and  the  five  organs  of  fenfation.  Thus, 
having  at  once  pervaded  with  emanations  of  the 
fupreme  fpirit  the  minuted  portions  of  fix  prin- 
ciples, immenfely  operative,  confcioufnefs,  and 
the  five  perceptions,  he  framed  all  creatures.  And 
fince  the  minutefl  particles  of  vifible  nature  have 
a  dependance  on  thefe  fix  emanations  from  God, 
the  Wife  have  accordingly  given  the  name  of  Sarifa, 
or  depending  on  fix ,  to  his  image  or  appearance  in 
vifible  nature.  Thence  proceed  the  great  elements, 
endued  with  peculiar  powers,  and  mind,  with 
operations  infinitely  fubtil,  tihe  unperifhable  caufe 
of  apparent  forms.  This  univerfe,  therefore,  is 
compacted  from  the  minute  portions  of  thefe  feven 
divine  and  active  principles,  the  great  foul,  or  firfl 
emanation,  confcibufnefs,  and  five  perceptions,  a 
mutable  univerfe  from  immutable  ideas.  Among 
them  each  fucceeding  element  acquires  the  quality 
©f  the  preceding,  and  in  as  many  degrees  as  each  of 

them 


Thofe  of  the,  Hindoos,  (3c,  compared.        7 1 

them  is  advanced,    with  fo  many  properties  it  is 
faid  to  be  endued,"  p.  3,  4. 

We  need  not  look  into  the  writings  of  Mofes,  or 
any  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Teftament,  for  paf- 
fages  to  compare  with  this.  They  contain  nothing 
of  the  fame  kind.  All  the  philofophy  of  the  fcrip- 
tures  confifts  of  fuch  popular  ideas  as  in  common 
difcourfe  are  adopted  even  by  modern  philofophers, 
as  that  the  earth  is  at  reft,  that  the  fun  rifes  and 
fets,  and  that  it  is  the  heart  of  man,  or  fomething 
within  him,  that  feels,  thinks,  &c.  The  fcriptures 
give  no  idea  of  a  foul  that  had  exifted  before  the 
body,  or  that  will,  or  can,  fubflft  and  aft  indepen- 
dently of  it.  According  to  Mofes,  Go^made  man 
of  the  dujl  of  the  earth,  and  afterwards  put  breath, 
or  life,  into  him  ;  and  when  he  dies  he  is  faid  to 
return  to  the  dujl  out  of  which  he  was  formed.  No- 
thing is  there  faid  of  other  fpheres,  other  worlds,  o- 
ther  continents,  or  other  feas ;  or  indeed  of  any 
thing  that  properly  falls  within  the  province  of  phi- 
lofophy. The  fcripture  contains  a  fyftem  of  pure 
religious  faith,  teaching  us  our  duty  in  this  life,  and 
our  expectations  with  refpect  to  another,  to  which 
we  are  to  be  raifed  at  a  future  period.  On  eve- 
ry  other  fubjecl;,  we  are  left  to  our  own  fpecula- 
tions. 

Wild  and  confufed  as  is  the  Hindoo  account  of 
the  origin    of   the  univerfe,    it    is    far    preferable 

to 


72  The  inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

to  that  which  was  generally  adopted  by  the  Greeks, 
whether  it  was  properly  their  own,  or,  as  it  i* 
thought,  derived  to  them  from  the  Egyptians,  from 
whom  they  received  the  elements  at  leaft  of  their 
theology  and  mythology. 

According  to  the  Hindoos,  the  world  had  a  crea- 
tor; but  according  to  the  Greeks  it  had  none. 
The  matter  out  of  which  it  arofe  was  from  eternity, 
and  all  things  affumed  their  prefent  forms  in  ccafe- 
quence  of  the  operation  of  the  prefent  laws  of  na- 
ture, which  alfo,  it  was  taken  for  granted,  had  al- 
ways been  the  fame,  and  had  no  more  any  author 
than  matter  itfelf,  not^vithftanding  they  bear  the 
marks  of  the  mofl  exquilite  defign.  It  items  ne- 
ver to  have  occurred  to  thefe  phihfophtrs,  as  the 
authors  of  this  fyftem  were  called,  that  fuch  po-^- 
ers  as  thofe  of  gravitation,  magnetifm,  &c.  could 
not  have  been  affumed  by  matter  itfelf ;  but  muil 
have  been  imparted  ab  extra,  and  by  fome  being 
who  mud  have  had  the  fkill  to  adapt  them  in  the 
wonderful  manner  in  which  they  are  adapted,  to  one 
another,  fo  that  the  prefent  fyftem  fhould  have 
been  the  re fult  of  their  joint  operation. 

But  admitting  thefe  utterly  inadmifiible  things, 
viz.  the  felf  exiftence  of  matter,  and  of  the  gene- 
ral laws  to  which  it  is  now  fubjecl;,  how  could 
fuch  a  wonderful  and  harmonious  fyftem  as  the  pre- 
fent arife  from  thefe  principles  ?  The  cleared  ac^ 

count 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &&.  compared.        73 

count  of.  thi&fyftem.is  given  by  Diodorus  Siculus* 
and  it  is  briefly  as  follows.     At  firft  the  whole  mafs 
of  matter,  out;  of  which  the  forms  of  all  things  were 
derived,  was  in  a  ftate  of  chaos,  and  its  parts  in  con- 
tinual motion,  in  confequence  of  which  the  light- 
er parts  difengaged  themfelves  from  the  heavier  ; 
the  particles  of  fire,   of  which  the  fun  and  other 
heavenly  bodies  confifted,  taking  the  higheft  place, 
the  air  the  next,    and  water  and  earth  the  lowed. 
Then  the  aftion  of  the  hot  fun  upon  the   moid 
earth  produced  fuch  a  frothy  furface  as  we  now 
fee  on  marfhy  ground;  and  by  this  means  were 
formed  the  germs  of  all  living  creatures ;    thofe  in 
which  heat  prevailed  rifing   into  the  air,  in  the 
form  of  birds  ;  while   thofe  which  had  more  of  an 
earthly  nature  became  men,  quadrupeds,  and  rep- 
tiles ;  and  thofe  in  the  conftitution  of  which  wa- 
ter prevailed  were  fifhes.     But   when  the   earth 
was  thoroughly   dried,    this  production  of  living 
creatures  ceafed,  and  the  races  of  them  were  conti- 
nued in  the  method  of  natural  generation. 

I  need  not,  furely,  obferve  how  wretchedly  lame 
and  abfurd  this  fyflem  is,  in  all  its  parts ;  and  yet, 
as  an  evidence  of  its  truth  and  probability,  it  was 
alleged  that  an  infinite  number  of  rats  are  ftill 
produced  by  the  heat  of  the  fun  in  Egypt,  at  the 
annual  inundation  of  the  Nile-  Thus  mankind, 
inilead  of  improving  upon  the  fyftem  of  Mofes, 

K  fcy 


74  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

by  the  exercife  of  their  reafon  on  this  great  ful>- 
ject,  wandered  farther  and  farther  into  the  regions 
of  improbability  and  abfurdity  ;  and  the  wifeft  of 
the  Grecian  philofophers,  of  whofe  different  fe6ls 
this  was  the  principal  object,  never  acquired  more 
light  with  refpect  to  it. 

How  far  the  Greeks  in  the  time  of  Homer  and 
Hefiod  had  loft  fight  of  every  thing  rational  and 
fublime  in  religion,  we  fee  in  their  poems.  The 
cofmogony  of  Hefiod  is  that  of  the  formation  of 
tiie  world  without  any  fuprememind,  and  there- 
fore does  not  deferve  to  be  particularly  defcribed. 
Thefe  poets  were  not  the  authors  of  the  fyftem 
that  we  find  in  their  writings.  They  afcribed 
nothing  to  their  gods,  but  fuch  actions  as  were  gene- 
rally thought  to  be  agreeable  to  their  natures ;  and 
it  is  remarkable  that  neither  in  Hefiod  nor  Homer 
do  we  find  any  trace  of  fentiments  fo  fublime  as 
thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  efpecially  that  of  a  felf  exift- 
ent  intelligent  principle.  Their  gods  had  all 
perfectly  human,  and  very  imperfect,  characters, 
and  even  Jupiter  the  chief  of  them,  only  excelled 
in  ftrength  ;  and  was  himfelf,  as  well  as  the  reft, 
fubje&to  afate,  of  which  no  account  is  given  ;.  but 
whatever  was  thus  fated  to  come  to  pafs,  they  could 
not  prevent, 

Thefe  gods  take  different  fides,  fome  that  of  the 
Greeks,  and  others  that  of  the  Trojans.  Their 

paflions 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.        7$ 

paffions  are  as  violent,  and  their  language  as  in- 
temperate, as  thofe  of  any  men.  They  deceive 
and  circumvent  one  another,  they  perfonally  en- 
gage in  the  battles  that  were  fought,  and  one  of 
them,  a  female,  is  wounded. 

Such,  however,  was  the  popular  religion  of  the 
Creeks  and  Romans;  and  how  could  it  contribute 
to  elevate  the  mind,  or  purify  the  morals  ?  And  yet 
in  the  courfe  of  many  ages  they  never  acquired 
any  better  principles;  and  at  length  it  was  the 
preaching  of  a  carpenter,  and  fifhermen,  and  not 
the  inftru&ion  of  philofophers,  that  overthrew 
this  rnonftrous  and  long  eflablifhed  fyftem. 


SECTION     VI. 

Of  the  Hindoo  Polytheifm,  and  Idolatry. 

MR.  LANGLES  fays  (Preliminary  Difcourfe, 
p.  147)  "  we  muft  take  care  not  to  charge 
the  Hindoos  with  polytkcifm"  Mr.  Holwell  alfo 
feverely  cenfures  modern  writers  for  reprefenting 
them  zsgrofs  idolaters  vol.  i,  p.  -6.  "  I  am  amazed" 
he  fays,  p.  n  "that  we  fhould  fo  readily  believe 
the  people  of  Indoftan  a  race  of  ftupid  idolaters." 
Mr.  Dow  gives  the  fame  favourable  idea  of 

the 


76  The  Infliiutions  of  Mofes 

the  Hindoo  worfhip.  "  Let  us  reft  affured,"  he 
fays,  p.  83,  "  that  whatever  the  external  ceremo- 
nies of  religion  may  be,  the  fame  infinite  Being  i§ 
the  object  of  univerfal  adoration." 

But  on  whatever  principles  this  is  advanced,  it 
will  exculpate  all  the  heathen  world,  in  all  ages, 
from  the  fame  charge.  It  is  true  that  the  Hin- 
doos acknowledge  one  Supreme  Being,  from  whom 
all  power  is  derived.  But  they  fuppofe  that  the 
immediate  government  of  the  world  is  placed  by 
him  in  other  hands.  To  thefe  inferior  deities 
their  prayers  and  religious  fervices  are  naturally  ad- 
dreffed ;  and  this  worfhip  is  encouraged,  and  en- 
joined, in  their  facred  books. 

Mr.  Dow  fays,  p.  76,  "the  veneration  for  dif- 
ferent objecls,  as  portions  of  God,  arifes  in  the  com- 
mon Indians  to  an  idea  of  fubalternate  intelligences ; 
but  the  learned  bramins  with  one  voice  deny  the 
exiflence  of  inferior  divinities ;  and  indeed  all  their 
religious  books  of  antiquity  confirm  this  afTer- 
tion."  That  any  perfon  really  converfant  with  the 
writings  of  the  Hindoos  mould  affert  this  will  ap- 
pear not  a  little  extraordinary,  after  reading  the 
extracts  that  I  mall  give  from  fome  of  their  books, 
of  unqueftionable  antiquity  and  authority.  Some 
bramins,  no  doubt,  may  be  unbelievers  in  the 
general  fyftem,  or  even  Atheifts.  There  are  fuch 
among  chriftians,  and  chriftian  minifters  ;  but  this 

has 


Thofc  of  tht  Hindoos,  &c,  compared.        jj 

has  nothing  to  do  with  the  proper  Hindoo  theology, 
in  theory  or  practice. 

According  to  their  fyftem  "  there  fprung  from 
the  Supreme  Being,  as  emanations  of  his  divinity, 
an  infinite  number  of  fubaltern  deities  and  genii, 
bf  which  every  part  of  the  vifible  world  was 
the  feat  and  temple.  Thefe  intelligences  did  not 
barely  refide  in  each  part  of  nature.  They  direct- 
ed its  operations,  each  element  being  under  the 
guidance  of  fome  being  peculiar  to  it,"  (Northern 
Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  79.)  Thefe  inferior  gods 
being  conceived  to  be  of  different  characters  and 
difpofitions,  it  was  natural  for  their  worlhippers  to 
adopt  different  methods  of  deprecating  their  an- 
ger, and  foliciting  their  favour.  Hence  have  come 
a  great  variety  of  whimfical  and  abfurd  rites  ;  and 
it  had  been  well  if  this  had  been  all.  But  fo 
depraved  as  the  opinions  of  men  were  of  the  ob- 
jects of  their  worfhip,  that  rites  of  the  moft  cruel 
and  dreadful  nature  have  been  deemed  neceffary 
to  gain  their  favour,  while  others  of  them  have 
been  fuppofed  to  be  gratified  by  rites  of  the  moft 
impure  kind.  That  this  was  the  cafe  with  the 
Egyptians,  all  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Paleftine, 
the  Chaldeans,  the  Greeks,  and  the  Romans,  can- 
not be  denied  ;  and  it  is  no  lefs  the  cafe  with  the 
Hindoos,  not  only  according  to  the  accounts  of 
travellers,  but  their  own  facred  books ;  and  the 

number 


7?  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

jiumber  of  their  gods  exceeds  that  of  any  other 
people  that  we  are  acquainted  with. 

The  veneration  of  the  Hindoos  for  the  images 
of  their  gods  makes  them  chargeable  with  idolatry, 
as  well  as  with  polytheifm,  if  there  be  any  fuch 
thing  in  the  world.  Their  learned  bramins  indeed 
fay,  that  they  do  not  worfhip  the  vifible  idol,  but 
the  invifible  being  reprefented  by  it.  The  fame  is 
(aid  by  perfons  of  intelligence  in  every  country. 
But  if  the  common  people  thought  fo,  they  might 
foon  be  brought  to  worfhip  an  invifible  and  omni- 
prefent  being  without  an  image,  which  bears  no  re- 
femblance  to  him,  and  with  which  he  is  no  more 
prefent  than  to  any  thing  elfe.  That  the  mere 
wood,  or  (tone,  of  which  the  image  confifts,  has 
any  extraordinary  power,  was  never  fuppofed  by 
any  idolater ;  but  they  imagine  that,  after  fome 
form  of  confecration,  the  powers  of  the  being  to 
whom  it  is  dedicated  are  brought  into  it,  and  then 
they  pay  it  the  fame  refpecl:  as  if  the  fuperior  being 
himfelf,  in  any  other  form,  was  before  them. 

Sir  William  Jones  fays  (  Differ  tations  relating  to 
Afia,  vol.  i,  p.  53)  that  "the  whole  crowd  of 
gods  and  goddefles  in  ancient  Rome,  and  modern 
Varanes,  mean  only  the  powers  of  nature,  and  prin- 
cipally thofe  of  the  fun,  exprefled  in  a  variety  of 
ways,  and  a  multiplicity  of  fanciful  names."  But 
it  is  of  no  confequence  whatever  what  has  been  the 

theoretical 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  £?c.  compared.        ^g 

theoretical  origin  of  the  heathen  worihip.     Thofe 
different  powers,   or  the  fame  power  under  differ- 
ent names,   have  aftually  become,  in  the  ideas  of 
the  worfhippers,    fo  many    different  perfons,   to 
whom  they  afcribe  different  attributes.     They   ad- 
drefs  them  in  different  ways,  and  attend  upon  them 
with  different  rites  ;    fo  that  to  every  real  purpofe 
they  are  to  them  quite  different  gods. 

Belides  the  families  of  the  firft  gods,  fays  La 
Croze,  p.  281,  which  are  fufBciently  numerous, 
the  Hindoos  have  a  prodigious  number  of  inferior 
divinities,  many  millions  in  all.  They  pray,  fays 
Mr.  Lord,  to  different  deities  according  to  their  dif- 
ferent occafions.  To  attain  a  happy  marriage  they 
pray  to  Hurmouni,  on  taking  a  journey  to  Gunnes, 
in  ficknefs  to  Bcgcnaut.  Soldiers  pray  to  Bimahem, 
the  wretched  to  Sye r,  and  the  fortunate  to  Nycaffcr, 
&c.  If  this  be  net  polytheifm,  I  do  not  know 
what  is  fo. 

It  has  been  faid  that  the  Hindoos  conceive  all  the 
parts  of  nature  to  be  animated,  even  rocks  and 
ilones.  It  has  been  no  uncommon  thing  for 
particular  flones  to  be  thought  to  conceal  divini- 
ties j  and  on  this  idea  they  have  become  objects  of 
worfhip.  The  principal  deity  of  the  ancient  A- 
rabs,  called  Dyfares,  was  a  black  ftone,  fquare, 
but  not  regular,  four  feet  high  and  two  feet  broad, 
(jfablonjki's  Pantheon  JEgyptiormi,  vol.  i,  p.  81) 

The 


8o  The  Injlitutions  of  Mdfes  and 

The  Hindoos,  fays  Tavernier,  vol.  2,  p-  416,  com- 
monly have  in  their  pagoda's  a  round  ftone,  brought 
from  the  Ganges,  which  they  worship  as  a  i;od  ; 
and  one  of  their  cafts  commonly  wear  Imail  round 
Hones  about  their  necks,  and  which  they  put  to 
their  breads  when  they  pray.  Rocks  and  moun- 
tains are  alfo  objects  of  veneration  to  the  votaries 
of  Lama  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hijlory,  &c.  of  the 
Hindoos,  vol.2,  p.  187.)  Pietro  della  Valle  fays, 
p.  52,  that  the  idol  called  Mahadeo,  is  a  pillar  of 
flone,  thicker  below  than  at  the  top.  In  another 
temple  which  he  vifited  the  idols  were  two  Hones, 
fomewhat  long,  like  the  ancient  termini,  or  land- 
marks, and  painted.  "  All  thefe  idols,"  he  fays,  "  are 
ferved,  adored,  perfumed,  offered  to,  and  warned 
every  day,  as  for  pleafure  (for  the  Indians  take  much 
pleafure  in  bathing  often)  by  the  bramins,  who  af- 
fift  at  this  fervice  with  much  diligence,"  p.  50,. 

The  Chingala's  of  Ceylon  worfhip  a  tree  called 
Bogaha,  in  the  form  of  which  they  believe  that 
Budda  was  manifefled  (Ezourvedam,  vol.  2,  p* 
47.)  Under  this  tree  they  light  lamps,  and  place 
images.  Delaport's  voyages,  vol.  3,  p.  395.) 

Notwithstanding  the  general  opinion  that  Brah- 
ma, Vichnou>  and  Sieb,  had  the  fame  origin,  and 
bear  the  fame  relation  to  the  Supreme  Being,  fome. 
of  the  Hindoos  attach  themfelves  to  one  and  others 
to  another  of  them,  and  the  generality  only  wor- 

Ihip 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c,  compared.         81 

fhip  one  of  the  three.  fSoiincrat,  vol.  i,  p.  51  \ 
They  even  fay  that  thefe  divine  perfonages  quar- 
relied  and  fought,  that  during  the  battle  the  earth 
trembled,  and  the  ftars  fell  from  the  firmament  ib. 
p.  152.  The  worfhippers  of  Vichnou  and  thofe 
of  Sieb,  or  Ifuren,  joined,  and  maffacred  thofe  of 
Birmhahp.  197,  205.  Nay  the  worfhippers  of 
Chiven,  which  is  another  name  for  Sieb,  acknow- 
lege  no  other  god,  and  confider  Birmah  and 
Vichnou  as  creatures  compared  to  him,  p.  17. 
They  have  even  fuch  a  contempt  for  him,  that 
they  bathe  and  purify  themfelves  after  hearing  the 
name  of  Vichnou  p.  198.  Others,  however,  think 
that  Chiven  and  Vichnou  are  only  different  attri- 
butes of  the  fame  god  p.  198.  It  is  Chiven  that 
is  worshipped  under  the  form  of  ling  am,  and  Vich- 
nou is  the  only  god  to  whom  they  offer  bloody 
facrifices.  His  victims  are  cocks  and  kids,  p.  157. 
Mr.  Sonnerat  fays  that,  befides  thofe  whom 
they  place  in  the  rank  of  gods,  they  have  faints, 
whole  pictures  they  place  in  their  temples,  and  that 
they  addrefs  prayers  to  them  as  well  as  to  the 
gods  p.  1 88.  A  particular  hiftory  of  feven  of  the 
Hindoo  feels  may  be  feen  in  Philips's  account  of 
Malabar,  p.  34.  The  Lama  of  Tibet  told  Mr. 
Bogle  that  he  worfhipped  three  of  the  Hindoo 
gods,  but  not  their  inferior  deities,  (Sketches  rtla- 
iingtothe'hiftory&c.  of  the  Hindoos,  Vol  2,  p.  209.) 

L  Thefe 


82  The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and 

Thefe,  it  will  be  faid,  are  the  accounts  of  tra- 
vellers. But  in  the  facred  books  of  the  Hindoos 
mention  is  made  of  various  divinities  befides  the 
Supreme  Being.  The  worfhip  of  the  fun,  fays 
Sir  William  Jones,  is  principally  recommended 
in  the  Veda's.  ( Differtations  relating  to  AJia,  Vol. 
i.  p  481)  The  inftitutes  of  Menu  fay  p.  4. 
"  The  Supreme  Being  created  an  affemblage  of 
inferior  deities,  and  divine  attributes,  and  pure 
fouls,  and  a  number  of  Genii  exquifitely  delicate/' 
In  this  work  mention  is  made,  p  351,  of  "  orders  of 
demigods  that  are  wafted  in  airy  cars,  genii  of  the 
figns  and  lunar  manfions,  and  Daityas,  or  the 
offspring  of  Diti." 

The  worfhip  paid  to  the  manes,  or  anceflors,  is 
a  great  article  in  the  fyftem,  and  is  mentioned  in 
almoft  every  page  of  the  Inftitutes.  Of  them  it 
is  faid,  p.  78,  that  "they  are  pleafed  with  an  ob- 
lation in  empty  glades,  naturally  clear,  or  the 
banks  of  rivers,  and  in  foiitary  fpots." 

Even  penances  are  faid  to  be  performed  by  dei- 
ties as  well  as  holy  kings,  p.  336.  They  are  faid  to 
have  taken  oaths  for  the  purpofe  of  judicial  evidence 
p.  204  ;  and  exactly  as  was  practiced  by  the  hea- 
thens in  the  weftern  world,  magiflrates  are  directed 
in  the  code  of  Gentoo  laws,  "  whatever  country 
they  mall  conquer,  to  pay  worfhip  to  the  Dewtah 

of 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared,        83 

of  the  country,  and  to  give  much  ef Feels,  and  money 
to  the  bramins  of  that  province."     p  1 15. 

A  number  of  Hindoo  deities  are  mentioned  in 
the  following  directions  given  to  the  bramins 
in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu.  "  In  his  domeftic  fire 
for  dreffing  the  food  of  all  the  gods,  after  the 
prefcribed  ceremony,  let  a  bramin  make  an  oblati- 
on each  day  to  thefe  following  divinities,  firft  to 
Agni  god  of  fire,  and  to  the  lunar  god,  feverally, 
then  to  both  of  them  at  once  ;  jiext  to  the  aflem- 
bled  gods,  and  afterwards  to  Dhanwantari,  god  of 
medicine,  to  Cuhu,  goddefs  of  the  day,  when  the 
new  moon  is  difcernible,  to  Anumati,  godd::fs  of 
the  day  after  the  oppofition,  to  Prayapati,  or  the 
lord  of  creatures,  Dyava,  and  Prithivi,  goddefles 
of  iky  and  earth,  and  laftly  to  the  fire  of  the  good 
facrifice.  Having  thus  with  fixed  attention  offer- 
ed clarified  butter  in  all  quarters,  proceeding  from 
the  Eaft  in  a  Southern  direclion,  to  Indra,  Yama, 
Varuna,  and  the  god  Soma,  let  him  offer  his  gift  to 
animated  creatures ;  faying,  I  falute  thee  Maruts, 
or  winds.  Let  him  throw  dreffed  rice  near  the  door, 
faying,  I  falute  the  water  gods  in  water ;  and  on 
his  peille  and  mortar  faying,  I  falute  the  gods  of 
large  trees.  Let  him  do  the  like  in  the  North  Eaft, 
or  near  his  pillar,  to  Sri,  the  goddefs  of  abun- 
dance ;  in  the  South  Weft,  or  at  the  foot  of  his 
bed,  to  the  propitious  goddefs  Bhadracali,  in  the 

centre 


84  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofts  and 

centre  of  his  maniion  to  Brahma,  and  his  hotife- 
hold  god.  To  all  the  gods  affembled  let  him 
throw  up  his  oblation  in  open  air  by  day,  to  the 
fpirits  who  walk  in  light,  and  by  night  to  thofe 
who  walk  in  darknefs."  (p.  62; 

All  the  neighbouring  nations,  whofe  religions 
have  fome  affinity  to  that  of  the  Hindoos,  are  po- 
lytheifts.  The  Siamefe  fay  that  the  reign  of  a  de- 
ity is  limited  to  a  certain  number  of  years,  after 
which  he  finks  into  eternal  repofe,  and  another  fuc- 
ceeds  him  in  the  government  of  the  univerfe.  So- 
monocodom,  they  fay,  was  the  laft*  of  them  ( Je- 
fuits  Account,  p.  289.) 

The  Chinefe,  Sir  William  Jones  fays,  had  an 
ancient  fyftem  of  ceremonies  and  fuperftitions, 
which  the  government  and  the  philofophers  appear 
to  have  encouraged,  which  has  an  apparent  affini- 
ty with  fome  parts  of  the  ancient  Indian  worfhip. 
They  believe  in  the  agency  of  genii  and  tutelary 
fpirits  prefiding  over  the  flars,  and  the  clouds, 
and  over  all  the  elements ;  which,  like  the  Hin- 
doos, they  reckon  five,  and  particularly  over  fire, 
the  moft  brilliant  of  them.  To  thefe  deities  they 
offered  viclims  in  high  places  ( Differtaticns  rela- 
ting to  Afia,  vol.  i,  228.)  If  this  be  not  a  fyftem 
of  polytheifm,  leading  to  every  evil  arifing  from 
polytheifm  elfewhere,  I  do  not  know  how  to  define 

the  word. 

In 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   G£c.  compared.        85 

IH  this  refpecl;  it  will  hardly  be  pretended  that 
the  Hebrew  inftitutions  were  copied  from  thofe  of 
the  Hindoos  or  the  Egyptians.  That  there  is  but 
one  God,  the  maker  and  governor  of  all  things, 
and,  without  any  vifible  reprefentation,  the  fole 
object  of  worfhip,  is  the  great  principle  of  the 
Hebrew  religion ;  and  in  all  the  writings  of  Mofes 
it  is  held  out  as  dire&ly  oppofed  to  the  polytheifm 
and  idolatry  of  all  the  neighbouring  nations.  The 
greateft  ftrefs  imaginable  is  laid  on  this  article,  and 
the  Hebrew  nation  was  evidently  fet  apart  by  the 
Divine  Being  to  be  the  great  medium  of  his  commu- 
nications with  mankind,  and  to  bear  their  teftimo- 
my  againft  the  univerfally  prevailing  corruption  of 
true  religion,  which  was  then  taking  place ;  and 
it  is  evident  from  fa6l  that  nothing  but  fuch 
3  fupernatural  interpofition  as  that  which  Mofes 
relates  could  have  prevented  that  one  nation  from 
being  contaminated  with  it. 

The  natural  pronenefs  of  the  Ifraelites  to  poly- 
theifm and  idolatry  appears  in  the  moft  undeniable 
manner  from  the  whole  of  their  hiftory.  Their 
anceflors  were  idolaters  before  their  coming  into 
Canaan,  that  part  of  the  fame  family  which  remain- 
ed in  Mefopotamia  continued  to  be  fo.  The  pof- 
terity  of  Jacob  were  fo  in  Egypt,  and  their  predi- 
lection for  that  fyftem  we  fee  in  the  wildernefs, 
and  from  the  time  of  their  fettlement  in  the  land 

of 


86  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

of  Canaan  to  the  Babylonifh  captivity.  Tho,  in 
confequence  of  feveral  interpositions  of  divine 
power,  they  were  occafionally  recovered  from  it, 
they  relapfed  again  and  again.  What  was  it,  then, 
what  could  it  have  been,  that  effected  a  radical  cure 
of  that  propenfity,  but  fome  meafure  of  the  fame 
kind  that  had  from  time  to  time  given  a  check 
to  it  ?  Certainly  it  could  not  have  been  their 
own  reafon,  or  natural  inclination,  but  a  pow- 
er which  they  could  not  control.  And  it  has 
been  by  means  of  this  one  defpifed  nation  (for  Jefus, 
the  founder  of  the  chriftian  religion,  was  of  it) 
that  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true  God  has  been 
preferved  and  propagated  in  the  world  to  this  very 
day.  All  nations  that  have  not  been,  dire&Iy  or 
indire&ly,  inftrufted  by  them  are  at  this  day  idola- 
ters. It  is  to  revelation  only,  and  not  to  any  ex- 
ertion of  human  reafon,  that  we  are  indebted  for 
fuch  great  and  important  light.  This  has  been 
the  only  radical  cure  of  this  miferable  fuperfti- 
tion,  by  which  the  world  has  been  fo  long  en- 
flaved,  and  from  which  have  flowed  the  greateft 
calamities. 

There  is  fomething  fo  great  and  fublime  in  the  i- 
dea  of  one  mind  comprehending  and  governing  this 
world,  and  much  more  the  whole  univerfe,  that  we 
cannot  wonder  that  it  was  not  long  retained  even  by 
thofe  who  had  originally  received  it  by  tradition  from 

preceding 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  C3c.  compared.        87 

preceding  revelations,  after  divine  communications 
had  been  long  difcontinued.  Much  lefs  can  we 
wonder  that  men  fhould  never  have  difcovered  this 
great  truth  themfelvcs,  or  have  recovered  it  after  it 
had  been  loft. 

That  there  is  one  God,  the  original  author  of 
all  things,  was  retained  in  the  Eaft,  and  efpecially 
by  the  Hindoos  ;  but  they  thought  there  were  ma- 
ny inferior  deities  prefiding  over  different  parts  of 
the  fyftem.  And  when  thefe  inferior  deities  were 
confidered  as  emanations  from  the  great  fource  of 
all  being,  we  the  lefs  wonder  at  their  becoming  ob- 
je6b  of  adoration.  The  precept  of  Ormufd,  in 
fome  Extracts  from  the  Zendavefta,  is  "  Adore  all 
that  I  have  created.  It  is  the  fame  as  if  you  ado- 
redme/'  (Annual  Regijler for  1762,  p.  119.)  This 
authorizes  the  worfhip  even  of  the  inanimate  parts 
of  nature. 

The  ancient  religion  of  the  Northern  European 
nations  was,  in  feveral  refpefts,  fimilar  to  that  of 
the  Eaft ;  and  there  we  find  the  acknowledgment 
of  one  Supreme  God,  with  the  worlhip  of  feveral 
inferior  ones.  Three  deities,  Odin  the  god  of  war, 
Frea  his  wife,  and  Thor  the  god  of  thunder,  were  the 
principal  objefts  of  worfhip  to  all  the  Scandinavians. 
The  Danes  paid  the  higheft  honours  to  Odin,  the 
Norwegians  and  the  people  of  Iceland  to  Thor,  and 
the  Swedes  to  Frea  ;  who  they  thought  prefided  o- 

ver 


88  The  Institutions  of  Mofes  and 

ver  the  feafons  of  the  year,  and  beflowed  peace,, 
fertility  and  riches.  (Northern  Antiquities,  vol.  i, 

P-  97-) 

Among  all  the  reafons  for  polytheifm,  the  moft 

curious  that  I  have  met  with  is  the  following 
of  one  of  the  fpeakers  of  Plutarch  is  his  treatife 
on  the  ceffationof  Oracles.  "  There  is  no  fuch 
thing  in  nature"  he  fays,  "  as  one  man  only,  one 
horfe,  one  flar,  one  deamon.  There  is  not  in  na- 
ture only  one  world/' 

In  favour  of  polytheifm,  it  is  often  faid  to  be 
mild  and  tolerant  in  its  nature.  The  heathens  in 
general,  believing  that  every  nation  and  diilricl 
had  its  peculiar  gods,  and  modes  of  worfhip,  did 
not  moleft  them  in  it ;  and  when  they  were  in 
any  foreign  country  they  did  not  fcruple  to  con- 
form to  the  religion  of  it.  But  they  allowed  no 
foreign  religions  at  home.  In  Greece  as  well  as 
at  Rome,  there  were  very  fevere  laws  on  this  fub- 
jeft,  and  any  contempt  expreffcd  for  the  public 
religion  was  deemed  unpardonable,  as  appeared  in 
the  cafe  of  Alcibiades.  It  was  in  confequence  of 
thefe  ancient  laws^that  the  chriflians  were  perfecuted 
by  the  early  Roman  emperors  ;  while  the  Jews, 
being  a  foreign  people,  were  allowed  the  profeffion 
of  their  own  religion. 

The  Egyptians  were  much  divided  among 
themfelves  on  the  fubjetl  of  religion,  and  the  ef- 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.        Sg 

fefts  of  their  mutual  animofity  were  fometitnes  un- 
pleafant.  Herodotus  fays  (Lib.  2,  f.  42)  the  peo- 
ple of  Thebes  abftain  from  fheep,  and  facrificc 
goats,  whereas  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mendelian 
nome  abftain  from  goats,  and  facrifice  fheep.  Plu- 
tarch, in  his  treatife  De  I/lde  et  OJiride,  fays  "  the 
Lycopolitans  are  the  only  people  in  Egypt  who  eat 
flieep,  beeaufe  the  wolf,  which  they  worfhip,  does 
fo  ;  and  in  our  times  the  Oxyrynchites  (or  thofe 
of  the  city  in  which  the  pike  is  worfhipped)  beeaufe 
the  Cynopolitans  (or  the  inhabitants  of  a  city  in 
which  the  dog  is  worfhipped)  ate  that  fpecies  of 
fifh,  caught  the  dogs,  and  killed  them,  and  even 
ate  of  them,  as  at  a  facrifice.  Thence  arofe  a  ci- 
vil war,  in  which  they  did  much  mifchief  to  one 
another,  till  they  were  chaflized  by  the  Romans/' 
He  adds,  "  the  greater  part  of  the  Egyptians  wor- 
Ihipping  the  animals  themfelves,  have  not  only 
made  their  religious  worfhip  a  fubjecl:  of  fcorn  and 
derifion ;  but  while  this  praSice  makes  fome  per- 
fons  extravagantly  fuperftitious,  it  drives  others  to 
atheifm." 

According  to  the  fame  author,  there  was  much 
bigotry  among  the  Perfians.  The  Magi,  he  fays, 
defcended  from  Zoroafler,  adored  the  hedghog,  and 
other  creatures,  but  had  a  deadly  fpite  againfl  wa- 
ter rats,  and  thought  that  man  near  to  the  gods  who 
deflroyed  the  mofi  of  them.  (Sympofiass,  qu.  5.) 

M  Like 


90  The  Injtitutions  of  Mofes  and 

Like  the  ancient  Egyptians,  the  Hindoos,  we 
have  feen,  quarrel  with  one  another  on  account  of 
their  attachment  to  their  different  deities,  efpecially 
in  Malabar.  The  worfhippers  of  Vichnou,  fays 
La  Croze,  and  of  Ifuren,  condemn  one  another, 
and  ufe  different  forms  of  prayer,  which  have  no 
relation  to  one  another,  p.  256. 

Mild  as  the  religion  of  the  Hindoos  appears  to 
be,  and  gentle  as  are  their  general  manners,  they 
can  a  flume  a  very  different  character  when  their  re- 
ligion is  concerned.  It  has  been  feen  that  the  bra- 
rnins  exterminated  the  Sammanians,  and  the  fol- 
lowers of  Budda  with  fire  and  fword,  leaving  none 
of  them  on  the  Weft  fide  of  the  Ganges.  They 
call  them  atheifts.  ( Differ tations  relating  to  Afia, 
vol.  2,  p.  265.)  They  confiderall  thofe  who  blaf- 
pheme  the  divinity  (by  which  they,  no  doubt, 
mean  their  own  religion)  as  mo-nfters,  to  be  avoid- 
ed with  the  utmofl  care,  and  fay  that  the  king  ought 
to  exterminate  them  (Ezourvedam,  p.  274.)  And 
when  any  Hindoo  is  converted  to  chriflianity,  he 
is  not  only  banimed  from  his  tribe,  but  abandoned 
to  the  infults  of  the  whole  nation. 

Similar  to  this  was  the  treatment  of  thofe  who 
were  excommunicated  by  the  Druids.  They  were 
not  only  excluded  from  the  facrifices,  but  deprived 
of  the  benefit  of  the  laws.  They  were  incapable 
of  any  employment,  and  their  fociety  was  avoided 

by 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,   £?c.  compared.        gt 

by  all  perfons.  In  what  light  the  Gauls  and  Bri- 
tons confidered  perfons  of  other  nations,  and 
other  religions,  is  not  faid. 

The  Hindoos  regard  all  chrifHans  with  the  great- 
eft  abhorrence  and  deteflation,  as  much  below  the 
loweft  of  their  own  cafts.  Mr.  Sonnerat  fays,  vol, 
i,  p.  194.  "Nothing  can  reconcile  the  Hindoos  to 
the  European  cuftoms,  and  their  hatred  only  in- 
creafes  by  living  with  them.  Some  merchants  on- 
ly, more  from  intereft  than  inclination,  ihew  lefs 
averfion  to  ftrangers ;  but  the  bramins,  the  peni- 
tents, and  many  others,  have  an  invincible  horror 
for  every  thing  that  refembles  the  cuftoms  of  Eu- 
ropeans," 

According  to  fome  well  informed  travellers,  the 
temper  of  the  bramins  in  general  is  by  no  means 
amiable.  They  can  be  cruel  and  malignant  where 
their  religion  is  concerned.  But  I  do  not  lay  much 
ftrefs  on  any  thing  not  authorized  by  their  Inftitu- 
tions,  fince  there  may  be  bad  men  who  profefs  the 
beft  religion.  Of  this  we  fee  examples  enow  a- 
mong  chriftians.  (La  Croze,  p.  296.)  When  the 
Hindoos  converfc  with  Chriftians  .on  the  fubje&of 
religion,  they  profefs  to  believe  that  the  Supreme 
Being  is  equally  pleafed  with  all  religions,  and  in- 
tended that  all  the  different  modes  of  it  fhould  be 
adopted  by  different  nations. 

It  has  been  feen  that  all  the  Hindoos  are  by  no 

means 


£2  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

means  agreed  on  the  fubjecl:  of  religion,  and  there- 
are  unbelievers  among  them  as  well  as  among  the 
ancient  heathens.  La  Croze  fays,  p.  324,  there  are 
atheifts  in  India,  and  treatifes  in  defence  of  athe- 
ifm.  In  a  trad  tranflated  from  the  Sanfcrit,  in  the 
Dijfertations  on  the  hijlory,  &c.  of  Afia,  vol.  2, 
p.  103,  mention  is  made  of  fix  atheiflical  fyftern§ 
of  philofophy.  Mr.  Dow  fays,  p.  20,  the  Boad, 
or  atheifts,  are  the  common  enemies  of  every  fyf- 
tem  of  religion.  And  the  Malabarians,  writing 
to  the  Danifh  miflionary,  fay,  there  are  among  us 
men  who  live  like  brutes,  without  any  religion  at 
all.  (Phillips  Account  of  Malabar,  p.  197.) 


SECTION     VII. 

Of   the  Religion  of   Egypt. 

THERE  is  no  ancient  nation  from  which  Mof- 
es can  with  fo  much  probability  be  fuppofed 
to  have  borrowed  any  of  his  inftitutions,  civil  or 
religious,  as  the  Egyptians,  among  whom  he  was 
educated,  and  to  whole  rites  it  is  evident  that  the 
Ifraelites  were  much  attached.  I  (hall  therefore 
give  a  general  outline  of  the  religion  of  Egypt,  ex- 
traded  chiefly  from  that  excellent  work  of  Jab- 

lonfki, 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  t3c.  compared.        g% 

lon&i,  intitkd  Pantheon  &gyptiorum.     This  wri- 
ter has  been  peculiarly  happy  in  his  inveftigation 
of  this  very  abftrufe  and  difficult  fubjecl:,  as   I 
think  muft  be  the  opinion  of  all  perfons  who  will 
rdad  his  work  with  attention.     It  is  at  the  fame 
time  the  moil  favourable  account  that  has  been  gi- 
ven of  this  fyftem;  and  from  his  reprefentation  of  it, 
and  of  the  changes  it  underwent,  we  mall  clearly  fee 
not  only  the  extreme  improbability  of  Mofes  hav- 
ing derived  any  lights  from  it,  but   alfo  the  great 
importance  of  revelation;  (ince  without  it,  the  moft 
intelligent  of  men,  left  to  their  own   fpeculations, 
gave  into  the  greateft  abfurdities,  and  fuch  as  were 
connected  with  cruel  and  obfcene  rites,  and  con- 
fequently  great  diffolutenefs  of  manners. 

According  to  Jablonfkithe  knowledge  and  wor- 

jhip  of  the  Supreme  Being  was  long  retained  by 

the  Egyptians,  and  they  did  not  think,  with  the 

Stoics  and  others,  that  he  was  bound  by  any  blind 

fate,  independent  of  his  own  will.     This  fupreme 

intelligence  was  denominated  Neitha>     The  fame, 

Or  his  principal  attribute,   was  alfo  deiignated  by 

the  terms  Phthas,  and  Kncph  (Cnuphis)  and  in 

their  hieroglyphics  he  was  reprefented  by  a  ferpent. 

They  had  alfo  an  idea  of  a  chaos  of  inert  matter, 

out  of  which  the  Supreme  Being  formed  all  things. 

The  origin  of  all   things  was    alfo   denominated 

Athor,  called   by  the  Greeks  the  cdejlial  Venus. 

It 


94  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

It  feems  to  have  been  all  nature  or  the  powers  of 
nature,  perfonified. 

In  a  courfe  of  time,  however,  the  worfhip  of  the 
Supreme  Being  was  negle&ed  in  Egypt,  as  well 
as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  the  regards  of 
the  people  were  confined  to  viable  objects,  efpe- 
cially  the  heavenly  bodies,  as  having  the  moft  fen- 
fible  influence  on  the  earth,  and  on  which  their  well 
being  more  immediately  depended  ;  and  they  wor- 
ihipped  the  fun  and  moon  under  their  proper 
names ;  that  of  the  former  Phre,  and  that  of  the 
latter  lo.  They  alfo  paid  fome  worfhip  to  the 
flars,  and  the  five  planets.  Thefe,  together  with 
the  fun  and  moon,  were  thefeven  great  gods  of  E- 
gypt,  and  when  they  are  called  eight,  the  Supreme 
Being  was  included  with  them.  Thefe  were  the 
Cabiri,  &c.  of  the  Greeks.  It  is  probable  that 
the  erection  of  obelifks  and  pyramids,  with  which 
Egypt  abounded,  had  fome  relation  to  the  worfhip 
of  the  fun,  as  alfo  had  the  facred  name  confifting 
of  three  letters.  Thefe  Jablonfld  fuppofes  to  have 
been  phre  abovementioned.  But  as  the  celebrated 
triliteral  name  among  the  Hindoos  is  cum,  and  on, 
was  alfo  at  one  time  the  name  or  title  of  the  fun  in 
Egypt  (whence  we  read  of  thepriejl  of  On,  and  a 
city  of  that  name,  called  by  the  Greeks  Heliopolii, 
facred  to  him)  I  rather  think  that  this  was  the 
tnyftical  word  in  Egypt,  as  well  as  in  Hindoftan. 

In 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c..  compared.        95 

In  time,  however,  the  worfhip  of  the  ftars  and 
planets  became  confined  to  the  priefts,  who  applied 
the  knowledge  they  had  of  them  to  the  purpofe  of 
calculating  nativities,  and  other  modes  of  divinati- 
on. 

The  next  change  that  the  religion  of  Egypt  un- 
derwent was  in  confequence  of  the  fpeculations  of 
the  priefts,    and  men  of  learning,    concerning  the 
various  pofitions  of  the  fun  and  moon  with  refpecl; 
to  the  earth,    and  the  other  properties  and  powers 
of    thefe  great  luminaries,    and  their  giving  them 
different  names,    expreffive  of  thofe  relations  and 
properties.     After  this,   the  worlhip  of  the  fun  and 
moon  by  their  proper  names  gradually  ceafed,    o- 
ther  terms  being  introduced,  and  peculiar  rites  ap- 
propriated to  each ;   fo  that  in  time  they  came  to  be 
confidered  as  fo  many  different  deities ;    and  it  is 
now  with  difficulty  that  they  can  be  traced  to  their 
origin.     This  worlhip  of  the  fun  and  moon  under 
fymbolical  names  Jablonlki  thinks  was  accomplifh- 
ed  in  the  4th  century  after  the  Exodus,   in  confe- 
quence of  a  reformation  that  was  then  made  in  the 
Egyptian  calendar,  which  the  priefts  were  enabled 
to  do  by  the  attention  they  had  given  to  the  fciencc 
of  aftronomy.     About  that  time,   in  other  coun- 
tries as  well  as  in  Egypt,  the  fun  was  feldom  wor- 
Ihipped  under  any  other  names  than  fuch  as  0/Zns, 
Baal,  Moloch,   Chcvnojk,  &c,  but  the  term  OJiris 

he 


$6  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

he  fuppofes  to  have  been  known  in  Egypt  fomc 
time  before  the  arrival  of  the  Ifraelites  in  the 
country.  Under  this  name  the  fun  was  confidered 
*s  the  regulator  of  time  ;  and  as  king  of  the  hea- 
vens, he  was  called  Remphath.  In  the  winter  fol- 
flice  he  was  Serapis,  worfhipped  under  that  name 
at  Sinopium  near  Memphis,  and  at  Racotis  near 
Alexandria.  As  beginning  to  emerge  from  this  low 
flate  he  was  Harpo crates ;  when  arrived  at  the  ver- 
nal equinox  he  was  Amun,  and  under  that  name 
was  worfhipped  at  Thebes.  In  the  fummer  fol- 
flice  he  was  Horus,  and  confidered  as  in  his  full 
ftrength  he  was  Semo,  and  Hercules. 

About  the  fame  time  that  the  fun  was  worfhip- 
ped  under  the  name  of  Ofiris,  the  moon  obtained 
that  of  I/Is ;  and  in  time  was  worfhipped  in  pre- 
ference to  any  other  deity,  becaufe  the  moon  was 
thought  to  have  more  influence  on  the  earth  than 
any  other  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  She  was  thought 
more  beneficent  than  the  fun,  whofe  exceffive  heat 
often  dried  and  burned  up  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 
Sometimes,  however,  by  the  term  Ifis  was  under- 
ftood  the  fruitful  part  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  as  be- 
ing made  fo  by  the  inflence  of  the  moon  ;  and 
fometimes  it  was  even  fynonymous  to  the  earth  in 
general. 

But  the  moon,  as  well  as  the  fun,  was  worfhip- 
ped under  more  names  than  one,  The  new  moon 

was 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 


goddefs  'Bnbajlh,  and  the  full  moon 
Confidered  as  continually  changing,  and  often  pun- 
iffiing  the  crimes  of  men,  fhe  was  Tithrambo, 
correfportding  to  the  Hecate  of  the  Greeks.  She 
was  alfo  Ilythia,  or  Lucina,  particularly  invoked 
in  childbearing.  Sothis,  or  the  dogftar,  was  pe- 
culiarly facred  to  IJis,  as  other  ftars  and  planets 
were  facred  to  other  deities,  who  were  fuppofed  to 
direft  their  influences.  The  heliacal  rifing  of 
this  ftar  being  when  the  fun  was  in  cancer,  and 
the  rifing  of  the  Nile  being  then  firft  perceptible, 
this  great  event  was  chiefly  afcribed  to  the  moon. 
This  was  in  the  month  called  thoth,  the  firft  in  the 
Egyptian  year,  and  thought  to  be  the  birth  day  of 
the  worM. 

The  worfhip  of  the  Egyptians  was  not  confined 
to  the  ccleflial  bodies.  The  river  Nile  was  an 
objeft  of  worfhip  to  them  in  a  very  early  period, 
being  confidered  as  the  father  ,and  the  faviour  of 
the  country.  Temples  were  ere6led  to  this  river, 
and  prictts  appointed  to  fcrve  in  them,  efpecially 
at  Nilopolis  ;  but  in  every  confiderable  city  there 
were  priefls  of  the  Nile,  and  among  other  offices 
it  was  their  bufinefs  to  bury  in  facred  monuments 
all  perfons  who  were  killed  by  crocodiles,  or 
drowned  in  the  river  ;  thinking  there  was  fome- 
thing  divine  in  them.  The  Mile  was  fometimes 
Called  the  earthly  Ofiris,  and  the  bull  Apis  was 

N  confidered 


9&  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

confrdered  as  his  fymbol,  or  of  the  fertility  which 
Egypt  derived  from  it.  Before  this  river  entered 
Egypt  it  was  called  Siris,  which  Mr.  Bruce  fays 
fignifies  a  dog  in  thofe  countries,  and  thence  the 
name  Sirius,  or  the  dogjlar. 

B elides  the  worfhip  of  benevolent  deities,  the 
Egyptians,  like  all  other  heathen  nations,  paid 
divine  honours  to  a  malevolent  one,  commonly 
called  Typhon  ;  he  being  confidered  as  the  author 
of  alraoft  all  evil,  and  they  worfhipped  him  with 
a  view  of  averting  the  evils  which  they  thought  it 
was  in  his  power  to  inflicl  upon  them*  To  him 
they  once  facrificed  men  with  red  hair,  he  being, 
they  Caid,  of  that  colour  (on  which  account  they 
held  it  in  great  abhorrence)  but  afterwards  red 
oxen.  When  they  did  not  gain  their  object  by 
this  means,  they  took  fome  of  the  animals  that 
were  facred  to  him  into  a  dark  place,  where  they 
terrified  and  beat  them ;  and  if  that  did  not  an- 
fvver,  they  killed  them  out  right. 

But  the  circumftance  that  moft  of  all  diflin- 
guimed  the  Egyptians  from  all  other  nations,  and 
which  drew  upon  them  the  ridicule  of  them  all, 
was  their  worfhipping  live  animals  ;  the  origin  of 
which  is  very  obfcure.  If  it  was  known  to  the 
priefts  at  the  time  of  their  intercourfe  with  the 
Greeks,  it  was  communicated  only  to  thofe  who 
were  initiated  into  their  myfleries.  The  probabi- 
lity 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.         gg 

lity  is  that  they  were  confidered  as  emblems  of  di- 
vine attributes.  Thefe  animals  were,  however, 
kept  in  the  precincts  of  their  temples,  all  poflible 
attention  was  paid  to  them,  and  facrifices  and  other 
rites  performed,  as  to  the  deities  themfelves,  who 
muft,  no  doubt,  have  been  fuppoied  to  animate 
them. 

In  common  with  the  Hindoos,  the  Egyptians 
had  a  greater  veneration  for  cows  than  tor  any  other 
cattle.  The  cow  was  facred  to  Athor,  called  by 
the  Greeks  the  celeftial  Venus,  and  a  live  cow  was 
generally  kept  in  her  temples. 

But  in  later  times  much  greater  homage  was  paid 
to  three  bulls,  one  called  Mnevis  at  Heliepolis, 
which  was  faid  to  reprefent  the  fun ;  another  was 
Apis  at  Memphis  to  reprefent  the  moon,  and  the 
third  was  called  Onuphis,  the  fymbol  of  the  Nile, 
at  Hermunthi.  The  worfhip  of  Mnevis  Jablonfld 
thinks  was  prior  to  the  Exodus,  but  it  was  little 
attended  to  after  the  introduction  of  Apis. 

When  an  Apis  died,  his  fucceffor,  into  whom 
the  fame  divine  fpirit  was  fuppofed  to  pafs,  was 
known  by  certain  marks,  efpecially  the  figure  of  a 
new  moon  or  his  right  fide.  When  fuch  a  one  was 
found,  he  was  firfl  brought  to  Nilopolis,  and  kept 
there  forty  days  ;  after  which  he  was  conducted  to 
his  temple  at  Memphis,  where  other  bulls  were  fa- 
crificed  to  him,  and  he  was  in  every  other  refpect 

treated 


10O  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

treated  as  a  divinity.  It  was  deerned  ne.ceflaty, 
however,  to  give  particular  attention  to  his  food  ; 
and  left  he  fhould  grow  too  fat  by  drinking  the 
water  of  the  Nile,  he  was  always  watered  out  of  a 
particular  fountain.  But  after  a  certain  time, 
which  is  fuppofed  to  have  been  twenty  five  years, 
he  was  drowned  by  the  priefls  in  a  facred  well.  If 
he  died  before  that  time,  he  had  the  moft  i'urpp- 
tuous  funeral,  and  all  the  country  {howed  figns  of 
the  greateft  anxiety  and  diftrefs  till  another  W£s 
found. 

Sheep,  and  efpecially  rams,  were  facred  both  to 
Neitha,  whofe  other  iymbol  was  a  ferpent,  and  to 
Amun,  called  by  the  Greeks  Jupiter  Ammon,  at 
Thebes ;  and  a  live  ram  was  kept  in  his  temple. 
Mendes,  called  Pan,  by  the  Greeks,  was  worshipped 
in  the  form  of  a  live  goat,  at  a  city  which  went  by 
his  name,  and  no  goats  were  eaten  by  his  worfhip- 
pers.  He  was  alfo  reprefented  by  the  phallus,  and 
was  faid  to  be  of  both  fexes,  as  were  feveral  other 
of  the  Egyptian  deities.  The  rites  of  his  worfliip 
were  more  abominable  than  any  thing  elfe  we  read 
of  in  all  hiftory. 

Anubis,  the  companion  of  Ofiris  and  Ins,  was 
worfhipped  in  the  form  of  a  dog ;  and  if  in  any 
houfe  a  dog  died,  the  family  went  into  the  deepeft 
mourning,  jablonfki  fuppofes  that  Anubis  re- 
prefented the  horizon  ;  but  Mr.  Bruce  with  more 

probability, 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.       101 

probability,  I  think,  fuppofes  that  he  was  the  dog- 
flar.  His  image  was  a  man  with  the  head  of  a  dog, 
and  it  was  always  either  made  of  folid  gold,  or  gild- 
ed, f 

Cats  were  facfed  to  Bubaftis;  and  at  the  city 
which  bore  the  name  of  this  deity  cats  were  buried 
with  the  greatefl  folemnity.  Field  mice  were  the 
living  images  of  Buto,  who  had  an  oracle  at  a  city 
of  that  name.  Tho'  divine  honours  were  not  paid 
to  geefe,  they  were  confidered  as  in  forne  meafurc 
facred  to  Ifis,  and  were  facrificed  to  her. 

All  the  animals  abovenaentiqned  were  of  the  ufe- 
ful  kind  •  but  they  alfo  wqrfhipped  others  of  a 
mifchievous  nature,  as  lions,  wolves,  apes,  croco- 
diles, the  hippopotamus,  and  ferpents,  as  living 
images  of  fome  of  their  deities.  The  crocodile 
and  hippopotamus  were  facred  to  Typhon,  and  fo 
alfo  was  the  afs.  The  crocodile  was  worfhipped 
with  many  fuperftitious  rites ;  and  when  children 
were  devoured  by  thofe  animals,  the  parents  were 
taught  to  con£der  it  as  an  Jaonour  to  them,  and 
they  did  not  mourn  for  them-  The  hippopotamus 
was  worfhipped  at  Papremis. 

The  Egyptians  alfo  paid  divine  honours  to  feve- 
ral  plants  as  well  as  to  animals,  especially  to  onions 
and  garlick,  of  which,  on  this  account,  they 
thought  it  impiety  to  eat.  The  lotus  was  facred 

to 


The  Inftitutions  of  Mofts  and 

to  Harpocrates,  becaufe  it  flowered  in  the  winter 
folftice,  to  which  he  bore  a  relation. 

Thus  was  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true  God, 
the  maker  and  preferver  of  all  things,  loft,  and  his 
worihip  wholly  abandoned,  in  this  nation  famed 
for  wifdom,  and  the  attention  they  gave  to  religion, 
fo  as  to  be  refpe&ed  as  the  fountain  of  fcience  to 
the  Greeks  and  Romans.  Now,  let  any  candid 
perfon  who  has  read  the  Pentateuch  fay,  whether 
he  has  difcovered  any  thing  in  the  inftitutions  of 
Mofes  that  refembles  the  religious  fyftem,  or  rites, 
of  the  Egyptians.  They  are  in  every  refpecl:  the 
reverfe  of  each  other.  Could  Mofes  have  borrow- 
ed any  thing  from  the  Egyptians,  and  not  have 
adopted  the  worfhip  of  any  of  their  numerous 
deities,  or  of  the  living  animals  which  reprefented 
them,  or  any  of  their  impure  rites  ?  Numerous  as 
were  the  fuperftitious  reftriclions  which  the  Egyp- 
tians laid  themfelves  under  with  refpeft  to  food, 
drefs,  Sec.  none  of  them  are  recommended  by 
Mofes  ;  and  in  the  books  of  the  O  Id  Teftament 
in  general,  the  religion  of  Egypt  is  fpoken  of  with 
as  much  deteftation  as  that  of  the  other  neigh- 
bouring nations,  that  of  the  Canaanites  excepted, 
with  whom  human  facrifices  prevailed  to  a  greater 
degree  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

Tho'  there  are,  as  I  have  fhewn,  many  points  of 
refemblance  between  the  religion  of  the  ancient  E- 

gyptians 


Thofcof  the  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.       103 

gyptians  and  that  of  the  Hindoos,  yet  in  many  ref- 
pe&s  they  are  exceedingly  different,  fo  that  tho* 
they  may  have  gone  together  at  the  firft,  they  mufl 
have  feparated  at  a  very  early  period.  The  Hin- 
doos never  worfhipped  living  animals,  which 
is  a  principle  feature  in  the  religion  of  the  E- 
gyptians ;  and  the  names,  the  characters,  and  the 
images,  of  their  deities  have  very  little  refemblance 
to  each  other.  The  Hindoos  paid  no  fuch  worfhip 
to  the  fun  and  moon  under  the  various  afpefts 
which  they  bore  to  the  earth ;  and  their  Brahma, 
Vichnou,  and  Sieb,  have  hardly  any  refemblance 
of  Oliris,  Ifis,  and  Typhon,  or  to  Oliris,  Orus, 
and  Typhon,  except  in  the  number  three  ;  and 
the  refpeft  which  the  Hindoos  flill  preferve  for  the 
Supreme  Being,  the  author  and  the  end  of  all 
things,  was  entirely  loft  among  the  Egyptians. 

There  is,  however,  a  very  remarkable  refem- 
blance between  the  religion  and  Mythological  fa- 
bles of  the  Greeks  and  thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  tho' 
we  are  not  able  to  trace  any  connection  there  ever 
was  between  them.  Among  the  numerous  points 
of  refemblance  that  Sir  William  Jones  and  Col- 
onel Wilford  have  obferved  between  the  fyflem  of 
the  Hindoos  and  that  of  the  weflern  part  of  the 
world,  very  few  relate  to  Egypt.  The  great  mafs 
of  them  relate  wholly  to  Greece,  or  the  fables  of 
the  Greeks  concerning  Egypt,  and  not  to  the  ideas 

of 


of  Mofes  and 

of  the  Egyptians  themfelves.  That  my  reader 
may  be  the  better  judge  of  this  I  fhall  juft  bring  in- 
to one  view  the  feveral  points  of  refemblance  that 
have  with  the  greateft  probability  been  traced  be- 
tween the  Oriental  and  Weftern  fyftems,  tho'  moll 
of  them  have  been  mentioned  before. 

Janus  is  thought  to  be  Ganefa  ;  Saturn,  Satya- 
vratta  ;  Jupiter  or  Diefpiter,  Divefpiter,  Lord  of  the 
iky,  is  the  fame  with  Indra.  Ofiris  and  Ifis  were 
Ifwara  and  Ifi ;  Ceres,  Sris  ;  Dyonyfos  Rama, 
or  according  to  C.  Wilford  Diva  Nahaufha,  ih 
the  fpoken  dialect,  Deonaum.  Pan,  was  Pa- 
van  5  Apollo,  Crifhna  ;  Vulcan  was  Wifwaearman  ; 
Venus,  Bhavani ;  Hermes,  or  Mercury,  Nared. 
The  Tauric  Diana,  or  Hecate,  was  Cali ;  Mars,- 
Carticeya;  Juno,  Parvati;  Minerva,  Durga;  Cu- 
pid  according  to  Sonnerat,  was  Manmadin  ;  Bac- 
chus, Bhagvat ;  Typhon,  Mahadeva ;  Cerjheus, 
Capeja  ;  Perfeus,  Parafica  ;  Andromeda,  Antar- 
mada ;  Cafliopea,  Cofyapa ;  and  Simele,  Syarna- 
la :  The  rnufes  and  nymphs  were  the  Copy  a  of 
Mathuren,  and  of  Goverdhan,  the  Parnaffusofthe 
Hindoos.  Prometheus  was  Pramathefa;  Labda- 
cus,  Lubdahaca  ;  Jocafta,  Yogacaihta  j  Laiusor 
Linus,  Linafer ;  Cadmus,  Cardom,  and  the  Ma- 
crobii,  Marcaba.  How  few  of  thefe  parallels  have 
any  relation  to  Egypt. 

SECTION 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      IQ; 


SECTION     VIII. 

Of  the  Religion  of  the  Schamans. 

HP  HE  religion  of  the  Hindoos  is  far  too  complex  "* 
•*•  to  have  been,  as  Sir  William  Jones  fuppo- 
fes,  the  oldeft  fyftem  of  polytheifm  and  idolatry. 
It  is  evidently  a  refinement  on  fomething  much 
more  fimple,  and  this  appears  to  me  to  have  been 
the  fyftem  of  the  Sammanes,  whom  the  Greek  wri- 
ters mention  as  a  feel  of  philofophers  in  India,  op- 
pofed  to  the  Brachmanes,  and  to  be  the  fame  with 
thofe  who  are  now  called  Schamans  in  Siberia. 
Indeed,  it  is  natural  to  look  for  the  oldeft  cuftoms, 
and  the  oldeft  religions,  among  nations  the  fartheft 
removed  from  the  centre  of  civilization.  As  they 
were  probably  the  firft  that  emigrated,  they  would, 
of  courfe,  carry  with  them  the  notions  and  the  prac- 
tices that  prevailed  in  the  earlieft  times. 

Both  the  people  and  the  priefts  of  the  Schaman 
religion  are  at  prefent  wholly  illiterate,  but  the  old 
Sammanes  are  faid  to  have  written  many  books  in 
philofophy  and  theology  (La  Croze,  vol.  2,  p.  293) 
and  they  are  not  the  only  people  who  furnifh  an 
enample  of  linking  into  barbarifm  from  a  ftate 

O  of 


106  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

of  confiderable  improvement.  The  Sammanians 
being  perfecuted  by  the  Bramins,  and  driven  by 
them  out  of  India  proper,  are  thought  to  have  ta- 
ken refuge  in  Pegu,  Siam,  and  other  countries  be- 
yond the  Ganges,  and  it  isfuppofed  that  the  religi- 
on of  thofe  countries  was  derived  from  their  princi- 
ples. The  religion  of  the  Lamas  in  Tibet  is  alfo 
faid  to  be  a  reformed  Schamanifm,  (See  the  work 
intitled  Rujjia,  iniroduftion,  p.  76,)  from  different 
parts  of  which  the  following  account  of  Schamanifm 
is  chiefly  taken.  It  is  commonly  afcribed  to  Mr. 
Tooke,  and  is  certainly  a  work  of  great  value. 

As  the  followers  of  Budda  were  likewife  perfe- 
cuted by  the  bramins,  and  they  alfo  fled  to  the  o- 
ther  fide  of  the  Ganges,  fome  are  of  opinion  that 
he  was  worfhipped  there  under  the  appellation  of 
Somonocodom.  But  fmee  the  term  for  God  is  in  the 
language  of  fome  of  the  Tartars  Kutai,  or  Gudaij 
and  in  the  Perfian  Khoda,  (which  very  much  re- 
fembles  our  word  God.)  Somonocodom  may  fig- 
nify  the  God  of  ike  Schamans,  ib.  p.  27.  As  to  the 
word  Schaman,  Loubiere  fays  it  fignifies  a  man  li- 
ving in  the  woods,  or  a  hermit,  which  is  applicable 
enough  to  one  who  is  addicted  to  a  life  of  contem- 
plation. The  word  Talapoin  is  faid  to  have  the 
fame  fignification  in  the  language  of  fome  of  the 
neighbouring  nations. 

In  the  tenets  and  practices  of  the  Schamans  we 

may 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       107 

may  fee  a  faint  outline  of  the  religion  of  the  Hin- 
doos. They  believe  in  one  God,  the  maker  of  all 
things ;  but  they  think  that  he  pays  no  attention  to 
the  affairs  of  men,  leaving  the  government  of  the 
world  to  inferior  beings,  to  whom,  therefore,  all 
their  devotions  are  addreffed.  Like  the  Egyptians 
and  Hindoos,  they  reprefent  the  divine  attributes 
by  the  figure  of  both  the  fexes.  Both  the  celeftial 
bodies,  and  all  terreftrial  obje&s  of  confiderable 
magnitude,  are  obje£h  of  worlhip  to  them,  tho* 
fome  of  them  only  believe  that  mountains,  and 
great  bodies  of  water,  are  the  habitations  of  the 
gods,  and  not  themfelves  animated.  They  have, 
however,  a  great  variety  of  fubordinate  deities, 
whom  they  invoke  for  different  purpofes,  viz.  one 
for  health,  another  for  their  cattle,  another  when 
they  travel,  another  for  the  women,  another  for 
their  children,  another  for  their  rein  deer ;  &c.  &c. 
&c.  thinking  that  particular  fpirits  prefide  over, 
and  have  the  care  of  them.  But  tho'  they  have 
goddeffes,  as  well  as  gods,  they  do  not  believe  that 
they  are  married.  Thefe  fpints  they  fuppofe  ap- 
pear to  their  priefls  in  the  form  of  bears,  lerpents, 
or  owls  ;  and  on  this  account  they  have  a  particular 
refpecl:  for  thofe  animals. 

Befides  thefe  deities  of  a  nature  fuperior  to  man, 
the  Siberians  worfhip  the  manes  of  their  anceftors, 
and  efpecially  the  fettlers  of  colonies,  whom  they 

regard 


io8  The  Injlituiions  of  Mofes  and 

regard  as  demigods,  imagining  that  the  gods  make 
ufe  of  their  miniflry  in  the  government  of  the 
world. 

They  not  only  fuppofe  that  there  are  fupcrior 
beings  of  very  different  difpofitions,  fome  friendly, 
and  others  unfriendly  to  men,  but  think  the  beft 
difpofed  of  them  are  fometimes  partial,  obilinate, 
and  vindictive;  and  over  the  malevolent  deities 
they  place  one  of  much  fuperior  power,  whom 
they  call  Schaitan.  But  tho  he  is  very  wicked, 
they  think  itpoffible  to  appeafe  him,  and  theiefore 
much  of  their  worfhip  is  addrefled  to  him. 

They  have  no  temples,  but  perform  their  reli- 
gious rites  in  the  open  air,  on  eminences,  or  the 
banks  of  rivers.  In  fome  places  their  religious 
ceremonies  are  performed  at  any  hour  of  the  day 
indifferently,  but  generally  during  the  night,  by 
the  light  of  a  fire  kindled  for  the  purpofe. 

They  have  idols  of  flone,  or  wood,  having 
fome  rude  refemblance  of  the  human  form,  and 
they  pretend  to  feed  them,  fmearing  their  faces 
with  blood  and  greafe.  By  way  of  incenfing 
them,  they  make  a  fmoke  with  burning  flefh. 
blood,  or  boughs  of  fir  and  wurmwood  before  them. 
But  when  misfortunes  befall  them,  they  load  them 
with  abufe,  fometimes  dafh  them  againft  the  ground, 
throw  them  into  the  water,  or  beat  them  with  rods. 

The 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   t3c.  compared.       109 

The  Kamtchadales  ere&  little  pillars,  which   they 
cntwiae  with  ivy,  and  regard  them  as  gods. 

They  expect  but  little  from  their  prayers  not 
accompanied  with  offerings;  and  except  fwine, 
they  believe  that  almofl  all  other  animals,  as  well 
as  birds,  fifties,  and  eatables  of  every  kind,  will  be 
acceptable.  In  travelling  they  often  make  thefe 
offerings  to  the  mountains  they  pafs  by,  or  to  the 
rivers  they  crofs. 

Their  modes  of  divination  are  various.  One  of 
them  is  performed  in  the  following  manner.  Hav- 
ing made  an  offering  to  their  gods,  they  throw  up 
the  wooden  bowl  in  which  it  was  prefented  into 
the  air,  and  if  it  light  on  the  ground,  with  its 
jnouth  upwards,  they  think  it  a  good  omen;  but 
if  it  fall  with  the  mouth  downwards,  they  think  the 
gods  have  not  accepted  their  offerings. 

Man  they  believe  to  be  a  compound  of  foul  and 
body ;  and  that  immediately  after  death  the  foul 
paffes  into  another  ftate  of  exiftence ;  which,  how- 
ever, mo  ft  of  them  think  to  be  at  be  ft  a  very  un- 
comfortable one,  and  therefore  they  have  a  great 
dread  of  death.  But  others  of  them  expecl;  to  go 
into  a  ftate  better  than  the  prefent,  and  one  that 
will  abound  with  fenfual  gratifications,  and  thefe 
fometimes  put  an  end  to  their  lives  with  much  un- 
concern. Some  alfo  order  their  bodies  to  be  burn- 
ed, as  a  means  of  purifying  them,  and  thereby  fe- 

curing 


no  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

curing  them  from  the  perfecution  of  fubterfanean 
fpirits.  For  they  fuppofe  all  the  dead  to  be  m  a 
place  under  ground. 

Tho'  they  do  not  think  the  foul  to  be  a  folid  fub- 
ftance,  they  think  that  its  employment,  and  enjoy- 
ments too,  in  a  future  ftate  will  be  fimilar  to  thofe 
in  this ;  and  therefore  they  bury  with  them 
cattle,  and  utenfils  of  various  kinds,  whate- 
ver has  been  of  any  ufe  to  them  here.  Alfo,  be- 
lieving animals  to  have  fouls  as  well  as  men, 
they  fpeak  to  the  bears,  and  whales,  &c.  after  they 
have  killed  them,  as  if  they  were  living,  and  rea- 
fonable  beings.  Women  they  regard  as  greatly 
inferior  to  men,  created  merely  to  be  fubfervi- 
ent  to  men,  and  their  treatment  of  them  is  con* 
temptuous  and  (hocking. 

The  priefthood  among  the  profeflbrs  of  this  re- 
ligion does  not  defcend  from  father  to  fon,  but  is  a 
voluntary  profcffion.  Their  priefls  are  confidered  as 
mediators  between  the  gods  and  men,  and  poffelT- 
ing  a  power  of  appealing  the  wrath  of  the  gods, 
and  conciliating  their  favour.  By  beating  a  magi- 
cal drum  they  pretend  to  make  fpirits  appear  and 
difappear  at  pleafure ;  and  during  the  celebration 
of  their  religious  rites,  they  fay  that  their  fouls 
fometimes  leave  their  bodies,  and  having  converfed 
with  their  gods,  they  report  what  they  have  learn- 
ed 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   £?c.  compared. 

ed  of  them,  fo  that  there  is  much   artifice  mixed 
with  their  fuperftition. 

The  religion  of  the  North  Americans  is  funda- 
mentally the  fame  with  that  of  the  Siberians,  which 
furnifhes  another  evidence  of  their  derivation  from 
them.  It  will  hardly,  however,  be  fuppofed  that 
this  fyftem,  tho  probably  more  ancient  than  the 
times  of  Mofes,  was  of  any  uie  to  him  in  the  forma- 
tion of  his.  Every  fyftem  of  heathenifm,  ancient  or 
modern,  was  formed  on  principles  fundamentally 
different  from  thofe  of  the  Hebrew  fcriptures. 


SECTION     IX. 

Of  the  different  Cafts  among  the  Hindoos. 

ONE  of  the  circumftances  in  which  I  have 
obferved  that  there  was  an  agreement  between 
the  inflitutions  of  the  Hindoos  and  thofe  of  the  E- 
gyptians,  was  the  divifion  of  the  people  according 
to  their  profeffions,  or  employments.  Thefe  make 
fo  many  different  cafts,  in  each  of  which  the  fon  is 
obliged  to  follow  the  profeflion  of  his  father.  But 
this  diftin&ion  is  carried  much  farther,  and  much 
more  ftrefs  is  laid  upon  it,  in  the  Hindoo  fyftem. 
It  makes  an  important  part  of  their  religion; 

whereas 


112  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

whereas  with  the  Egyptians  it  was  rather  a  civil  in- 
ftitution.  It  is  a  fyftem,  however,  which,  not  ha,- 
ving  been  adopted  by  mankind  in  general,  mufl 
have  been  thought  improper  and  inconvenient ;  and 
certainly  it  is  fo  in  a  high  degree. 

All  men,  it  cannot  be  denied,  are  born  equal, 
and  reafon  requires  that  no  diflin&ions  be  made 
after  birth,  beiides  fuch  as  the  good  of  the  whole 
community  makes  necefiary.  It  is,  no  doubt,  the 
befl  upon  the  whole,  that  the  fon  mould  inherit 
the  father's  eftate,  becaufe  it  is  a  powerful  motive 
to  general  induflry ;  and  moft  nations  have  allowed 
peculiar  privileges  to  certain  clafles  of  their  citi- 
zens, in  order  to  prevent  dangerous  contentions, 
and  becaufe  it  was  thought  that,  educated  as  they 
neceffarily  would  be,  they  would  be  better  quali- 
fied to  ferve  their  country  in  certain  refpe&s.  On 
this  account  there  have  been  families  of  nobles  in 
moft  of  the  countries  of  Europe.  But  this  had 
been  found  by  experience  to  have  been  carried  too 
for,  that  is,  farther  than  the  common  good  required. 
Such  privileges  are  now  generally  regarded  with 
jealoufy  and  diflike.  They  have  not  been  adopt- 
ed in  this  country,  they  are  now  difcarded  in 
France,  and  in  other  countries  of  Europe. 

In  the  Eaft  in  general,  there  are  no  hereditary 
honours  or  employments,  except  in  that  of  the  reign- 
ing family,  and  in  fomethat  of  the  priefihood,  be- 
caufe 


the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

caafe  it  was  thought  that  a  peculiar  degree  of  fane- 
tity  (the  idea  of  which  was  by  fome  means  or  other 
attached  to  a  particular  family)  made  them  more 
reverenced.  Bat  the  Hindoos  have  not  only  here* 
<jJitary  princes,  and  priefls,  but  every  (eparate  em- 
ployment is  confined  to  certain  tribes  or  families, 
and  the  rnoii  unnecedary  and  unjuft  diftinclions  ar$ 
inade  with  refpe&  to  them. 

This  fyflem  muft  confine  the  faculties  of  men, 
nature  often  fitting  them  for  one  employment  and 
the  fyflem  confining  them  to  another.  Indeed, 
with  us  we  fee  few  men  making  any  diftinguifhed  fi- 
gure in  the  employment  for  which  they  were  edu- 
cated. Great  natural  ability  generally  leads  men  to 
look  beyond  what  is  immediately  before  them,  and 
to  attempt  fomething  of  which  their  parents  and  fa- 
mily have  been  incapable ;  and  opportunities  fre- 
quently occur  which  enable  them  to  purfue  their 
natural  inclination.  Alfo  men  frequently  change 
their  purfuits  to  their  own  advantage,  and  that  of 
the  public. 

But  the  great  wifdom  afcribed  to  the  founders  of 
the  Hindoo  inftitutions  has  made  no  provifion  to 
favour  this  propenfity  of  nature.  On  the  contrary, 
the  greateft  ftrefs  imaginable  is  by  the  Hindoos  laid 
on  the  difference  of  rank  in  fociety,  and  in  their 
opinion  nothing  can  be  of  more  confequence.  "  In 
cpuatry,"  fay  the  .Initiates  pf  Menu, 
F  "  iuch 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  an£ 

ct  fuch  men  are  born  as  deflroy  the  purity  of  the 
four  calls,  that  country  foon  perifhes,  together  with 
the  natives  of  it."  p.  296.  This,  however,  is  a 
prediction  that  does  not  appear  to  have  been  veri- 
fied by  fa&.  As  this  diftin&ion  of  calls  is  one  of 
the  leading  features  in  the  fyflem  of  the  Hindoos, 
and  many  of  their  laws  and  cufloms  have  a  refer- 
ence to  it,  I  mufl  not  content  myfelf  with  giving 
this  general  account,  but  enter  into  many  particu- 
lars relating  to  it. 

The  origin  which  the  Hindoos  give  to  this  dif- 
tin&ion  of  cafls  is  not  a  little  fanciful.  In  the  In- 
ftitutes  of  Menu,  where  the  Supreme  Being  is  fpo- 
ken  of  in  the  form  of  Brahma,  we  read,  p.  5; 
"  That  the  human  race  might  be  multiplied,  he 
caufed  the  bramins,  the  Chatirya,  the  Vaiffya,  and 
the  Sudra  to  proceed  from  his  mouth,  his  arms, 
his  thighs,  and  his  feet."  The  fame  account  is  gi- 
ven by  the  pundits  who  compiled  the  Code  of  Gen- 
too  laws,  with  this  feeming  difference,  that  thefe 
four  cafls  were  created  by  the  Supreme  Being  him* 
felf,  who  left  the  remainder  of  the  creation  to  be 
completed  by  Brahma,  or,  as  he  is  there  called,  Burm* 
ha.  "  The  principle  of  truth,"  as  quoted  before, 
p.  99,  "  having  firft  formed  the  earth,  &c.  produ- 
ced a  being  called  Burmha,  for  the  creation  of  all 
beings.  Afterwards  he  created  the  bramins  from 
his  mouth,  the  Chcttres  from  his  arms,  the  Bice  from 

his 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   (3c.  compared. 

his  thighs,  aud  the  Sooder  from  his  feet;  and  he 
ordered  Burmha  to  complete  the  other  creations, 
and  fettle  the  feveral  employments  of  the  bramins, 
the  cheteree,  the  bice,  and  the  fooder,  which  he 
had  created  ;  and  he  committed  the  government 
of  all  beings  to  Burmha."  It  immediately  fol- 
lows, however,  that  Burmha  produced  men  as  well 
as  other  creatures ;  fo  that,  according  to  this  work, 
there  feems  to  have  been  two  origins  of  mankind. 
Perhaps  we  are  to  underftand  that  the  Hindoos 
came  immediately  from  the  Supreme  Being,  and 
the  reft  of  mankind  from  Burmha. 

The  four  orders  being  produced,  their  refpec- 
tive  duties  were  affigned  to  them  as  follows.  "  To 
the  bramins  he  affigned  the  duties  of  reading  the 
Veda,  of  teaching  it,  of  facrificing,  and  affifting 
others  to  facrifice.  To  defend  the  people,  to  read 
the  Veda,  and  to  facrifice,  are  the  duties  of  the 
cfhatriya.  To  keep  herds  of  cattle,  to  fac.rifice,  to 
read  the  fcripture,  to  carry  on  trade,  and  to  culti- 
vate the  land,  are  prefcribed  to  a  vaifya.  One  duty 
the  fupreme  ruler  affigned  to  the  fudra,  viz.  to 
ferve  the  abovementioned  claries,  without  depre- 
ciating their  worth,"  (Injlitutes  of  Menu,  p.  12) 

Thefe  offices  are  not,  however,  fo  rigoroufly 
prefcribed,  but  that  many  cafes  occur  in  which  a 
perfon  of  a  higher  order  may  do  what  belongs  to 
.a  -tower.  Thus  "  a  bramin  unable  to  fubufl  by 

hb 


1 1 5  The  Injtitutions  of  M<fa  and 

liis  proper  duties  may  follow  the  profeffion  of  & 
foldier,  if  not  by  this,  then  by  that  of  a  merchant, 
or  by  agriculture,"  ib.  p.  299.  "  A  military  man  may 
fubfifl  by  any  of  thefe  means,  but  at  ho  time  mull 
he  have  recourfe  to  the  higheft,  or  facerdotal,"  ib. 
p.  301.  "  And  he  who  without  heceffity  discharges 
the  duty  of  another  clafs,  immediately  forfeits  his 
own/'  ib. 

Notwithftanding  all  the  provifions  of  law,  it 
was  not  pofiible  to  prevent  an  intermixture  of  thefe 
clafles,  by  the  intermarriage  of  perfons  living  in  the 
fame  fociety.  This  was  a  circumftance  for  which 
the  laws  themfelves  have  therefore  provided.  "  By 
the  intermixture  of  clafles,"  fay  the  Inflitutes  of 
Menu,  "  by  their  marriages  with  women  who 
ought  not  to  be  married,  and  by  their  omiflion  of 
prefcribed  duties,  impure  clafles  have  been  form- 
ed," p.  292.  Thefe  clafles  are  here  enumerated, 
and  their  ranks  and  employments  prefcribed;  and 
in  this  account  it  is  faid  that  "  a  fudra  begets  on 
a  brahmin  woman  a  fon  more  vile  than  himfelf, 
and  any  other  low  man  begets  on  a  woman  of  the 
four  clafles  a  fon  yet  lower.  Six  of  thefe  low  claff- 
es  marrying  inverfely  have  produced  fifteen  other 
flill  lower  tribes,  the  bafe  producing  dill  bafer,  and 
in  a  direct  order  they  have  produced  fifteen  more," 

In  the  Code  of  Gentoo  laws  thofe  bafe  clafles 
are  called  Burntmfunien,  p.  in,  and  they  are  Tub- 
divided 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       117 

Divided  into  as  many  feparate  claffes  as  there  are 
trades  or  occupations  to  be  exercifed  by  them.  In 
this  work  they  are  faid  to  be  twenty  nine,  p.  101, 
La  Croze  fays,  p.  295,  they  were  in  all  ninety 
eight. 

The  employments  of  each  of  thefe  tribes  are  de- 
lineated at  length  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  and 
I  (hall  mention  a  few  as  a  fpecimen  of  the  reft. 
"  From  a  bramin  and  a  Sudra  woman  is  born  a 
Nifhada.  From  a  Sudra  on  women  of  the  three 
higher  clalfes  are  born  three  different  tribes,  that 
by  one  of  the  military  clafs  a  CJJiattri,  by  a  bramin 
woman  a  Chandala.  Thefe  are  called  the  loweft 
of  mortals.  A  fon  of  a  Nifhada  by  a  woman  of 
the  Sudra  clafs  is  a  Puccafa.  From  a  Cfhatriya  by 
a  Sudra  woman  comes  an  Ugra.  From  a  Cfhattri 
by  an  Ugra  woman  comes  a  Suapaca.  From  a 
Chandala  by  a  Puccafi  woman  is  born  a  Sopaca, 
who  lives  by  punifhing  criminals  condemned 
by  the  king,  a  finful  wretch  ever  defpifed  by  the 
virtuous/'  p.  294.  "  A  Nifhadi  woman  by  a  Chan- 
dala produces  a  fon  called  Antyavafayin,  employ- 
ed in  places  for  burning  the  dead,  contemned  even 
by  the  contemptible,"  ib. 

We  have  feen  that,  according  to  the  pundits  who 
compiled  the  Code  of  Gentoo  laws,  different  ra- 
ces of  men  may  fpring  from  a  mixture  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  different  deeps,  or  continents  before 

mentioned, 


The  Injlittitions  of  Mofts  and 

mentioned.  From  a  man  of  Shakud  deep,  cafl  up- 
on Jumboo  deep,  came,  they  fay,  the  tribe  Dciool 
They  then  add,  p.  105.  From  a  man  of  DeiooJ, 
and  a  woman  of  bice,  was  derived  the  tnbe  of 
Gung,  or  aflronomers,  and  others  called  Muluah, 
which  eat  forbidden  food.  Thefe  fprung  from  the 
members  of  the  tyrant  Bein,  who  behaved  fo  ill 
that  the  bramins  put  him  to  death.  This  done, 
thefe  pundits  proceed  to  fay,  they  rubbed  his  two 
hands,  and  from  his  right  hand  produced  a  fon  na- 
med Perthoo,  {killed  in  the  art  of  war,  and  alfo  a 
pundit  in  the  Shafter,  in  form  and  fhape  like  a  dew- 
tah,  and  from  his  left  hand  they  raifed  a  daughter, 
who  was  married  to  Perthoo,  and  under  them  eve- 
jy  thing  flourifhed.  All  this  is  delivered  with  the 
greateft  gravity  in  their  account  of  the  creation. 

Thefe  four  cafts  are  fo  diftinguifhed  by  their  out- 
ward appearance  that  they  cannot  be  miflaken. 
They  not  only  drefs  in  a  different  manner,  but  have 
different  ftaves  for  walking  with,  being  made  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  wood,  and  of  different  lengths. 
(Injlitutes  of  Menu,  p.  23.)  They  alfo  ufe  differ- 
ent girdles  to  bind  their  garments  about  them. 

The  three  higher  claffes  are  called  twice  born,  but 
the  fourth  only  once  born,  that  is,  according  to  the 
Inftitutes  of  Menu,  they  have  nofecond  birth  from 
tht  Gayatri,  which  is  a  form  of  prayer,  or  as  it  is 
fometimes  called,  of  incantation,  from  the  Veda's, 

and 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

and  which  is  not  to  be  ufed  by  the  Sudras.  In 
the  farther  explanation  of  this  circumftance  it  is 
faid  (Inftitutcs  of  Menu,  p.  36.)  "  Let  a  man  con* 
fider  that  as  a  mere  human  birth  which  his  parents 
gave  him,  but  that  birth  which  he  knows  the  whole 
Veda  procures  for  him,  is  the  true  birth.  This 
birth  is  exempt  from  age,  and  death."  That 
is,  I  fuppofe,  the  privilege  obtained  by  it  extends 
beyond  this  life*.  "  The  firft  birth  is  from  the  na- 
tural mother,  the  fecond  from  the  ligation  of  the 
zone,  the  third  from  the  performance  of  facrifice. 
Such  are  the  births  of  him  who  is  twice  born  ac- 
cording to  the  Veda,"  p.  38*  It  mould  feem, 
therefore,  that  fome  may  be  faid  to  be  not  only 
twice,  but  even  thrice  born,  tho'  the  phrafe  com* 
monly  ufed  in  this  work  is  twice  born. 

Notwithstanding  this  diftin&ion  of  the  cads, 
there  are  cafes  in  which  the  higheft  may  fink  to  the 
loweft,  and  the  lowed  may  rife  to  the  higheft, 
at  leaft  in  another  life.  Thus  "  by  felling  flefh 
meat,  lacjha,  or  fait,  a  bramin  immediately  finks 
low.  By  felling  milk  three  days  he  falls  to  a  level 
with  a  fudra.  (Injiitutes  of  Menu  p.  300.)  On  the 
other  hand,  '4  by  the  force  of  extreme  devotion,  and 
exalted  fathers,  all  the  clafles  may  rife  in  time  to 
a  high  birth  ;  as  by  the  reverfe  all  may  fink  to  the 
loweft  ftate,  in  every  age  among  mortals  in  this 
inferior  world,"  p.  249,  "  Defertion  of  life  without 

reward 


1*0  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofts  and 

reward,  for  the  fake  of  preferving  a  prieft,  or  a  co\v, 
ma)£  caofe  the  beatitude  ofthofe  bafe  born  tribes." 
p.  296. 

"  Servile  attendance  on  a  bramin  learned  in  the 
Veda,  chiefly  on  fuch  as  keep  houfe,  and  are  fam* 
ed  for  virtue,  is  the  higheft  duty  of  a  Sudra, 
and  leads  him  to  future  beatitude.  Pure  in  mind 
and  body,  ferving  the  three  higher  claffes,  mild  in 
fpeech,  never  arrogant,  ever  feeking  refuge  in 
bramin's  principally,  he  may  attain  the  moft  emi* 
Tient  clafs  in  another  tranfmigration,"  ib.  p.  288. 

Thefe  tribes,  fays  Mr.  Dow,  p.  32,  do  not  in- 
termarry, eat,  drink,  or  in  any  manner  aflbciate 
with  one  another,  except  when  they  woifhip  at  the 
temple  of  Jagernaut  in  OriflTa,  where  it  is  held  a 
crime  to  make  any  diftin&ion. 

Much  lefs  will  the  Hindoos  ufe  any  thing  in  com- 
mon with  perfons  of  other  nations.  They  regard 
them  all  with  the  greateft  abhorrence,  and  no  ne- 
ceility  will  make  them  eat  or  drink  with  them. 
The  Egyptians  had  the  fame  fuperflitious  ideas. 
We  fee  in  the  fcriptures  that  they  did  not  eat  even 
with  Jofeph,  tho'  he  was  the  prime  minifter  in  the 
country,  or  with  any  who  are  there  called  Shep- 
herds. Herodotus  fays  that  no  Egyptian,  man  or 
woman,  will  ufe  any  thing  belonging  to  a  Greek, 
or  tafte  flefh  cut  with  their  knives,  Jib.  2,  fee.  41. 

SECTION 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       121 

SECTION    X. 

Of  the  Bramins. 

HP* HE  prerogatives  of  the  Hindoo bramins  ck- 
-*•  ferve  a  particular  confideration,  as  there  is 
not  in  all  hi  (lory  another  example  of  fuch  refpeft 
being  claimed,  or  obtained,  by  any  clafs  of  men 
whatever.  In  the  Preface  to  the  Code  of  Gentoo 
laws,  p.  10,  it  is  juftly  obferved,  that  "  the  people 
of  Hindoilan  pay  the  bramins  a  degree  of  refpect 
little  fhort  of  idolatry,  in  return  for  the  advantages 
fuppofed  to  be  derived  from  their  ftudies." 

Mr.  Holwcll  fays  the  bramins  are  denominated 
from  Bramah,  a  title  appropriated  to  the  promul- 
ger  of  the  Shaflah,  and  which  implies  the  fpiritua- 
lity  and  divinity  of  his  million  and  doctrines.  Hence 
he  fays  it  is  that  his  fucceffors  affumed  the  name 
of  bramins,  fuppoling  themfelves  to  inherit  the 
fame  divine  Spirit,  vol.  2,  p.  7. 

In  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu  we  read  that  "  from 
priority  of  birth  and  fuperiority  of  origin,  from  a 
more  exact  knowledge  of  the  fcriptures,  and  from 
a  diftinction  in  the  facrifical  cord,  a  bramin  is 
lord  of  all  the  claries  p.  289.  From  his  high 
birth  alone  a  bramin  is  an  object  of  veneration  even 
to  the  deities.  His  declarations  to  mankind  are 
decifive  evidence,  and  the  Veda  itfelf  confers  on 

Q  him 


122  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

him  this  chara&er"  p.  319.  Much,  however,  of 
the  dignity  which  the  bramins  may  attain  depends 
upon  their  acquirements.  (i  A  prieft  who  has 
gone  thro*  the  whole  Veda  is  equal  to  the  fove- 
reign  of  all  the  world/'  p.  277. 

Yet  great  as  is  the  refpecl;  with  which  the  bra- 
mins are  treated,  it  is  not  more  than  they  are  inti- 
tled  to,  if  they  be  of  fo  much  importance  as  is 
pretended.  According  to  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu 
the  profperity  of  the  Rate,  and  even  that  of  the 
world,  depends  upon  them.  <;  That  kingdom/* 
it  is  there  faid,  p.  179,  "  in  which  learned  bra- 
mins are  afflicled  with  hunger,  will  in  a  fhort  time 
be  afflicted  with  famine.  By  the  religious  duties 
which  fuch  bramins  perform  every  day,  under  the 
full  protection  of  the  fovereign,.  the  life,  wealth., 
and  dominion,  of  his  protectors  mall  be  greatly 
increafed/'  ib.  But  this  is  not  all.  "  The  Be- 
ing who  exifls  of  himfelf  produced  the  bramia 
from  his  own  mouth,  that  having  performed  holy 
rites,  he  might  prefent  clarified  butter  to  the  gods, 
and  cakes  of  rice  to  the  progenitors  of  mankind, 
for  the  prefcrvation  of  this  world.  What  created 
being  then  can  furpafs  him  with  whofe  mouth  the 
gods  of  the  firmament  continually  feaft  on  clarified 
butter,  and  the  manes  of  anceftors  on  hallowed 
oikes."  p.  13. 

But  the  following  paflagcs  frgm   this   Hindoo 

work 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   (3 c.  compared. 

work  will  perhaps  give  us  a  Hill  higher  idea  of  the 
power  and  importance  of  the  order  of  bramins. 
"  Let  not  the  king,  tho'  in  the  greatefl  diftrefs,  pro- 
voke the  bramins  to  anger.  For  they,  once  en- 
raged, could  immediately,  by  facrifices  and  im- 
precations, deflroy  him,  with  his  troops,  elephants, 
horfes,  and  cars.  Who,  without  perifhing,  could 
provoke  thofe  holy  men,  by  whom"  (i.  e.  by  whofe 
anceftors  under  Brahma)  "  the  all  devouring  fire 
was  created,  the  fea  with  waters  not  drinkable,  and 
the  moon  with  its  wane  and  increafe  ?  What 
prince  could  gain  wealth  by  opprefling  thofe  who, 
if  angry,  could  frame  other  worlds,  could  give  be- 
ing to  new  gods,  and  mortals  ?  p.  285.  WThat 
man  defirous  of  life  would  injure  thofe  by  the  aid  of 
whom"  (that  is  by  whofe  oblations)  "  worlds  <  ] 
gods  perpetually  fubfift,  thofe  who  are  rich  i 
learning  of  the  Veda?  A  Bramin,  whether  It  •»• 
or  ignorant,  is  a  powerful  divinity ;  even  as 
fire  is  a  powerful  divinity,  whether  ccr  crated 
or  popular.  Even  in  places  for  hiring  the 
dead  the  bright  fire  is  undefiled,  and  when  pre- 
fented  with  clarified  butter  blazr?  again  with 
extreme  fplendour.  Thus,  tho'  I  amins  employ 
themfelves  in  all  forts  of  mean  f/ccupation,  they 
muft  invariably  be  honoured,  lor  they  are  forne- 
thing  tranfcendently  divine."  [  .  286. 

Such  being  the  natural  d  :    ity  of   this  order  of 


124  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

men,  we  do  not  wonder  that,  according  to  thefe 
Inftitutes,  there  is  no  greater  merit  than  that  of 
Ihewing  favour  to  Lramins,  and  no  greater  crime 
than  that  of  injuring  them.  "  Let  every  man,  ac- 
cording to  his  ability,  give  wealth  to  the  bramins, 
detached  from  the  world,  and  learned  in  the  fcrip- 
tures.  Such  a  giver  mall  attain  heaven  even  in  this 
life,  p.  308.  By  entertaining  one  learned  man  at 
an  oblation  of  the  gods,  and  at  that  of  anceftors, 
he  gains  more  exalted  fruit  than  by  feeding  a  mul- 
titude wiio  know  not  the  holy  texts,  p.  68.  An 
oblation  in  the  mouth  or  hand  of  a  bramin  is  bet- 
ter than  offerings  to  the  holy  fire.  It  never  drops, 
it  never  dries  ;  it  is  never  confumed.  A  gift  to 
one  not  a  bramin  produces  fruit  of  a  middle  (land- 
ard,  to  one  who  calls  himfelf  a  bramin  double,  but 
to  a  well  read  bramin  a  hundred  thoufand  fold,  to 
one 'who  has  read  all  the  Veda's  infinite,"  p.  169. 

The  Hindoos  think  that  in  many  cafes  the  merit 
of  one  perfon  may  be  transferred  to  another,  as  we 
have  feen  on  a  former  occafion ;  and  according  to 
the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  6^.  "  A  bramin  co- 
ming as  a  gue  ft,  and  not  received  with  full  honor, 
takes  to  himfUf  the  reward  of  all  the  houfekeeper's 
former  virtue,  >ven  tho'  he  had  been  fo  temperate 
as  to,  live  on  the}  gleanings  of  the  harveft,  and  fo 
pious  as  to  make  'oblations on  five  difiina  fires." 

Notwithflandin|"\this  high  diftin&ion,  the  bra- 

min 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   (3c.  compared.      125 

min  does  not  in  fome  refpe&s,   fland  higher  than  a 
cow.     For  the  fame  Inftitutes  fay,  p.  318.     "For 
the  preservation  of  a  cow,  or  a  bramin,  let  a  man 
inftantly  abandon  life ;   fince  the  preferver  of  a  cow, 
or  of  a  bramin,    atones  for  the  crime  of   killing  a 
prieft.     By  attempting  at  leafl  three  times  forcibly 
to  recover  from  robbers  the  property  of  a  bramin,  or 
by  recovering  it  in  one  of  his  attacks,  or  even  by  lo- 
fmg  his  life  in  the  attempt,  he  atones  for  his  crime." 
We  may  form  fome  idea  of  the  value  of  thefe 
fervices  when  we  are  told  in  the  fame  Inftitutes,  p. 
238,    that    "  no  greater  crime  is  known  on  earth 
than  that  of   killing  a  bramin/*  and    "  that  a  king 
muft  not  even  form  in  his  mind  the  idea  of  killing  a 
prieft."     We  find  the  fame  in  the  Code  of  Gentoo 
laws,  p.  283,  where  it  is  added,  that  "  a  magiftratc 
muft  not  even  cut  off  his  limb."     "  For  ftriking  a 
bramin  even  with  a  blade  of  grafs,  or  tying  him  by 
the  neck  with  a  cloth,  or  overpowering  him  in  argu- 
ment, .  the  offender  muft  footh  him  by  falling  prof- 
trate."    (Injlitutes  of  Menu,  p.    335.)     An  atone- 
ment is  appointed  for  killing  a  prieft  without  ma- 
lice, but  for  killing  him  with  malice  there  is  no  ex- 
piation.    "  If  the  cafe  be  atrocious,  the  murderer 
muft  actually  die,    in  the  flames,  or  in  battle,"  p, 

3*9- 

In  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu  kings  are  particularly  in- 
ftruded  how  to  behave  to  the  bramins,   and  the  fol- 
lowing 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

lowing  is  a  fpecimen  of  their  inftru&ions  on  this 
head.  "  Having  appointed  a  bramin  a  maintain- 
ance,  let  the  king  protect  him  on  all  fides.  For  he 
gains  from  the  bramin  whom  he  prote&s  a  fixth 
part  of  the  reward  of  his  virtue,  p.  340.  Let  the 
king,  having  rifen  at  an  early  dawn,  refpe6lfully  at- 
tend to  the  bramins,  learn  in  the  three  Vedas,  and 
in  the  ftudy  of  Ethics,  and  by  their  decifion  let 
him  abide,  p.  163.  Conflantly  muft  he  mew  ref- 
pecfc  to  the  bramins.  To  one  learned  bramin,  dif- 
tinguifhed  among  them  all,  let  the  king  impart  his 
momentous  councils.  To  him  with  full  confidence 
let  him  intruft  all  his  tranfaclions,  p.  160.  For 
the  full  discharge  of  his  duty  let  him  give  the  bra- 
mins both  legal  enjoyments  and  moderate  wealth, 
p.  169.  Laflly,  mould  a  king  be  near  his  end, 
thro'  fome  incurable  difeafe,  he  muft  bellow  on  the 
priefts  all  his  riches,  accumulated  from  legal  fines," 
p.  286. 

Some  of  the  prerogatives  of  the  bramins  are  of  a 
fingular  nature,  giving  them  advantages  which 
have  no  relation  to  their  office.  "  A  learned  bra- 
min having  found  a  treafure  formerly  hidden  may 
take  it  without  any  dedudion,  fince  he  is  lord  of 
all ;  but  of  thofe  anciently  repofited  under  ground 
which  any  other  fubjecl;,  or  the  king,  has  difcovered, 
the  king  may  lay  up  half  in  his  treafure,  having  gi- 
ven half  to  the  bramins.  (In/litutcs  of  Menu,  p. 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

194.)  "  H  a  widow  ftiould  give  all  her  property 
to  the  bramins  for  religious  purpofes,  the  gift  is  va- 
lid, but  the  aft  is  improper,  and  the  woman  is 
blameable."  (Preface  to  the  Gentoo  laws,  p.  55.) 
A  bramin  is  not  required  to  pay  fo  much  for  inter- 
eft  of  money,  as  any  of  the  other  clafTes,  ib. 

p.  2. 

The  following  article  is  particularly  curious,  and 
{hews  how  very  defective  are  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  Hindoo  jurifprudence  and  morali- 
ty. "  If  a  man  thro*  impulfe  of  luft  tell  lies  to  a 
woman,  or  if  his  own  life  would  otherwife  be  loft, 
or  all  the  goods  of  his  houfe  fpoilcd,  or  if  it  be 
for  the  fervice  of  a  bramin ;  in  fuch  affairs  falfe> 
hood  is  allowable,"  p.  115. 

Sacred  as  is  the  character  of  a  bramin  among 
the  Hindoos,  it  is  in  one  refpeft  inferior  to  that  of 
the  Highprieft  of  the  Parfi's.  For  according  to 
Mr.  Lord,  p.  186,  he  muft  notfo  much  as  touch, 
not  only  a  ftranger,  but  even  a  layman  of  his  own 
religion. 

Holy  and  venerable  as  thefe  bramins  are,  it  is 
not,  however,  pretended  that  they  are  impeccable. 
What  then  is  to  be  done  if  they  offend  ?  Cer- 
tainly, in  them  a  breach  of  the  law  is  a  greater 
crime  than  in  any  other  order  of  men,  who  have 
Icfs  knowledge,  and  more  temptation.  But  the 
Hindoo  lawgivers  were  of  a  different  opinion.  For 

in 


128  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

in  all  cafes  the  punifhments  of  bramins,  are  lighter 
than  thofe  of  other  men ;  and  whatever  they  do, 
their  lives,  their  limbs,  their  liberty,  and  even  their 
property  cannot  be  touched,  as  we  fee  in  the  follow- 
ing laws  refpe&ing  them : 

"  Never  let  the  king  flay  a  bramin,  tho'  convict- 
ed of  all  poflible  crimes  :  Let  him  banifh  the  of* 
fender  from  the  realm,  but  with  all  his  property 
fecure,  and  his  body  unhurt.  (Injlitutes  of  Menu, 
p.  238.)  Menu,  fon  of  the  felf  exiftent,  has  nam- 
ed ten  places  of  punifhment,  which  are  appropri- 
ated to  the  three  lowed  claffes,  but  a  bramin  rnufi 
depart  from  the  realm  unhurt  in  any  of  them,  the 
parts  of  generation,  the  belly,  the  tongue,  the 
two  hands,  the  two  feet,  the  eye,  the  nofe, 
both  ears,  the  property,  and  in  a  capital  cafe  .the 
whole  body.  Let  a  jufl  prince  banifh  men  of  the 
three  lower  clafTes,  if  they  give  falfe  evidence,  hav- 
ing firft  levied  the  fine,  but  a  bramin  let  him  only 
banifh,5'  p.  201.  *  Ignominious  torture  is,  how- 
ever 

•  Mr.  Dow,  therefore,  muft  be  miftaken  when  he  fays, 
p.  36,  "  The  bramins  have  not  exempted  themfelves  from 
the  punUhment  of  death  when  guilty  of  crimes.  This," 
he  fays,  "  is  one  of  the  numerous  fables  which  modern 
travellers  import  from  the  Eaft."  Plutarch  in  his  Roman 
QueftionS)  lays,  "  Other  priefts  might  be  condemned, 
but  no  augur  could  be  removed  from  his  office,  tho'  con- 
of  the  greateft  grimes." 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c,  compared.      129 

ever,  ordained  inflead  of  capital  puni  fhment  for 
an  adulterer  of  the  prieftly  clafs  ;  whereas  the  pu- 
nifhment  of  the  other  claiTes  in  the  fame  cafe  may 
extend  to  the  lofs  of  life,"  ib.  p.  237.  "  The  pro- 
perty of  a  bramin  fliall  never  be  taken  by  efcheat 
by  the  king.  This  is  a  fixed  law,  but  the  wealth 
of  the  other  claffes,  on  failure  of  all  heirs,  the  king 
may  take/'  p.  270. 

"  If  a  bramin  has  killed  a  man  of  the  facerdotal 
clafs  without  malice,  the  flayer,  being  fuperior  to 
the  flam  in  good  qualities,  he  mufl  himfelf  make 
a  hut  in  a  foreft,  and  dwell  in  it  twelve  whole 
years,  fubfifling  on  alms,  for  the  purification  of 
his  foul,  placing  near  him,  as  a  token  of  his 
crime,  the  fkull  of  the  flain,  or  if  not,  any  human 
fkull.  The  time  of  penance  for  the  three  lower 
clafTes  mufl  be  twenty  four,  thirty  fix,  and  forty 
eight  years.  If  the  flayer  be  of  the  military  clafsr 
he  may  voluntarily  expofe  himfelf  as  a  mark  to 
archers,  or  he  may  caft  himfelf  headlong  thrice,  or 
even  till  he  dies,  into  a  blazing  fire/'  ib.  p.  317. 

Bramins  are  fuppofed  to  be  capable  of  the  mofl 
unnatural  vices  ;  but  even  in  fuch  cafes  they  are 
to  fufFer  lefs  than  offenders  of  the  lower  clafTes  in 
the  fame  way.  "  If  a  bramin  mould  copulate  with 
a  cow,  the  magiftrate  mail  fine  him  eighty  gold 
crowns,  if  a  cheteree,  or  a  bice,  he  fhall  fine  him 

five 


130  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

five  hundred  pieces  of  couries,  if  he  be  a  Sooder, 
he  fhall  be  put  to  death/'  (Gcntoo  Laws,  p.  248.) 

We  find  however,  the  following  exception  in 
favour  of  reafon  and  juftice.  "  The  fine  of  a  Sooder 
for  theft  fhali  be  eight  fold,  that  of  a  vaifya  fix- 
teen  fold,  that  of  a  cheteree  thirty  two,  and  that  of 
bramin  fixty  four,  or  a  hundred  fold  complete,  or 
even  twice  fixty  four  ;  each  of  them  knowing  the 
nature  of  the  offence,"  (Irjlitutcs  of  Menu,  p. 
232.) 

The  ancient  Germans  appear  to  have  had  a  high 
idea  of  the  facrednefs  of  their  priefls.  According 
to  Tacitus,  the  power  of  infli&ing  pains  and  penal- 
ties, and  of  ftriking  and  binding  the  criminal,  was 
veiled  in  the  priefts  alone ;  and  thefe  Germans,  tho' 
fb  haughty,  would  fummit  to  blows,  and  even 
to  death  itfelf,  from  the  hand  of  the  pontiff,  whom 
they  confidered  as  the  inftrument  of  an  angry  dei- 
ty, (Northern  Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  142.) 

In  proportion  to  this  excefiive  elevation  of  the 
bramin,  is  the  equally  unnatural  degradation  and 
depreffion  of  the  poor  Sudra.  Indeed,  that  any 
part  of  the  human  fpecies  fhould  fubmit  to 
fuch  a  date  is  moft  extraordinary.  All  the  fol- 
lowing are  among  the  laws  of  Menu  relating  to 
them, 

"  A  man  of  the  fervile  clafs,  whether  bought  or 
unbought,  a  bramin  may  compel  to  perform  feve- 

ral 


Thofe  of  tht  Hindoos,  t3c.  compared.      \  3  i 

ral  duties.  Such  a  man  was  created  by  the  felf 
exiflent  for  the  purpofe  of  ferving  bramins,  p. 
242.  A  Sudra,  tho'  emancipated  by  hismafter, 
is  not  releafed  from  a  (late  of  fervitude.  For  of  a 
ftate  which  is  natural  to  him,  by  whom  can  he  be 
divefled  ?  ib.  For  a  Sudra  is  ordained  a  wife  of 
hii  own  clafs,  and  no  other,  p.  265.  No  fuper- 
fiuous  collcftion  of  wealth  mail  be  made  by  a 
Sudra,  even  tho'  he  have  power  to  make  it.  Since 
a  fervile  man,  who  has  amafled  riches,  becomes 
proud,  and  gives  pain  even  to  the  bramins,"  p. 
306. 

The  little  value  that  is  fet  on  the  life  of  a  Sudra 
niay  be  feen  in  the  following  law.  "  If  a  perfon 
kill  by  defign  a  cat,  an  ichnuomon,  the  bird 
chafha,  or  a  frog,  a  dog,  a  lizard,  an  owl,  or  a  crow, 
he  muft  perform  the  penance  for  the  death  of  a 
Sudra,"  (Inftitotcs  of  Menu,  p.  325.) 

This  clafs  of  men  muft  be  fuppofed  to  be  as 
odious  to  the  gods  as  they  are  to  men,  and  no 
doubt  from  an  opinion  of  their  being  in  a  flate  of 
punimment  for  offences  committed  in  a  prior  flate. 
For  they  fay  "the  whole  territory  that  is  inhabited 
by  a  number  of  Sudra's,  overwhelmed  with  atheifls, 
and  deprived  .of  bramins,  muft  fpeedily  perifh,  af- 
flicted with  death  and  difeafe,"  p.  192.) 

The    Hindoo  fyilem,    however,    fuppofes  that 

even 


132  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

even  a  Sudra  may  have  merit,  and  become  intitled 
to  reward.  For  we  read  that  "  if  a  Sudra,  without 
injuring  another  man,  perform  the  lawful  a&s  of 
the  twice  born,  without  being  cenfured,  he  gains 
exaltation  in  this  world  and  the  next,"  (Tnftitufos 
.of  Menu,  p.  305.)  He  has  likewife  the  privilege 
of  living  where  he  pleafes.  A  certain  diftri6t ,  is 
particularly  defcribed  in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  in 
which  perfons  of  the  three  higheft  clafles  mud 
dwell;  but  "a  Sudra,"  it  is  faid,  p.  20,  "diftreff- 
ed  for  fubfiftence,  may  fojoum  wherever  he 
pleafes/' 

But  the  fuperiority  of  the  bramin  to  the  Sudra 
will  appear  in  the  ftrongefl  light  in  the  laws  and 
regulations  which  at  the  lame  time  relate  to  them 
both.     I  feledl  the  following  with  this  view.  "  At- 
tendance on  a  bramin  is  pronounced  the  beft  work 
for  a  Sudra.     Whatever  elfe  he  may  perform  will 
comparatively    avail    him    nothing,    (Inflitutes  of 
Menu,  p.  305.)     A  once  born  man  who  infults  a 
twice  born  one  with  grofs  inveftive  ought  to  have 
his  tongue  flit ;  for  he  fprung  from  the  lowefl  part 
of  Brahma.     If   he    mentions  their  names    and 
claffes  with  contumely,  as  if  he  fay  0  dcvadatta, 
thou  refufe  of  bramins,  an  iron  ftyle  ten  fingers 
long  mall  be  thrufl  red  hot  into  his  mouth.  Should 
he  thro'    pride  give  inflru&ion  to  priefts  concern- 
their  duty,  let  the  king  order  fome  hot  oil  to  be 

dropped 


Thoff  of  the  Hindoos,  (3c.  compared* 

dropped  into  his  mouth,   and  his  ear,  ib.  p.  224. 
jf  a  Sudra  fits  on  the  carpet  of  a  bramin,   the  ma- 
giilrate,    having  thruft  a  red  hot  iron  into  his  but- 
tock, and  branded  him,  mall  banifh  him  the  kingdom, 
or  elfe  he  mall  cut  offhis  buttock,  (Gftitoo  Laws,  p. 
207.)  If  a  Sudra,  out  of  pride,  mail  fpit  upon  a  bra- 
min,   the  magiftrate  mail  cut  off  his  lip  ;  if  he  pifs 
upon  him,  he  mall  cut  off  his  penis,  if  he  evacuate 
backwards  his  wind  upon  him,    he  (hall  cut  off  his 
fundament.     If  he  pluck  a  bramin  by  the  ear,  or 
the  beard,  or  take  hold  of  his  neck,  he  fhall  cut  off 
both  his  hands/'   p.  208.     But  what  follows  is  even 
more  than  this.      For    "  if  a  Sudra  give  much  and 
frequent  moleflation  to  a   bramin,    the  inagiftrate 
fhall  put  him  to  death,"  p.  262.     A  bramin,   tho* 
under  obligation  to  live  on  alms,    muft  not  apply 
to  a  Sudra.     "  Let  no  bramin  beg  a  gift  from  a  Su- 
dra,   for  if  he  perform  a  facrifice  after  fuch  beg- 
ging, he  fhall  in  the  next  life  be  born  a  Chandala/* 
(Injlitutes  of  Menu,  p.  810.) 

Low,  however,  as  is  the  Sudra,  all  thofe  who 
have  had  the  misfortune  to  be  born  in  the  Burrun- 
funken  claffes  are  lower  ftill,  as  the  following  ac- 
count will  mew.  "  The  abode  of  the  Chandala, 
and  Suapaca,  muft  be  out  of  the  town.  They  muft 
not  have  the  ufe  of  an  entire  veflel,  their  fole  wealth 
rnuft  be  dogs  and  affes,  ib.  p.  295.  Their  clothes 
muft  be  the  mantles  of  the  deceafed,  their  dimes 

for 


134  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes 

for  food  broken  pots,  their  ornaments  rufly  iron. 
Continually  muft  they  roam  from  place  to  place. 
Let  no  man  who  regards  his  duty,  religious  or  civil, 
hold  any  intercourfe  with  them.  Let  their  connec- 
tions be  confined  to  themfelves,  and  their  marria- 
ges only  between  equals,"  ib.  "  Let  food  be  given 
them  in  potfhcrds,  but  not  by  the  hands  ot  the  gi- 
ver, and  let  them  not  walk  by  night  in  a  city  or 
town.  By  day  they  may  walk  about  for  the  pur- 
pofe  of  work,  diftinguimed  by  the  king's  badges, 
and  they  (hall  carry  out  the  corpfes  of  every  one 
who  dies  without  kindred.  Such  is  the  fixed  rule. 
They  mail  always  kill  thofe  who  arc  to  be  flam  by 
the  fentence  of  the  law,  and  by  royal  warrant,  and 
'let  them  take  the  clothes  of  the  fiain,  and  their  or- 
naments/' ib.  p.  £96. 

It  will  always  remain  a  problem  not  eafy  to  be 
folved  how  one  part  of  the  fame  community  can  keep 
another  part  of  it  in  fuch  a  wretched  Mate  of  degrada- 
tion and  fervitude,  even  fuppofing,  what  is  not  faid 
to -have  been  the  cafe  here,  that  the  Sudra's  were 
originally  prffoners  taken  in  war.  For  the  effect 
of  that  circumftance  would  ceafe  in  a  few  generati- 
ons. But  it  may  be  accounted  for,  in  fome  mea- 
fure,  from  the  deplorable  flate  of  ignorance  in 
which  this  degraded  order  of  men  is  fhidioufly  kept. 
Such  legal  provifions  for  perpetual  ignorance  arc 
altogether  unknown  in  any  other  country.  It  fills 

one 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,   6?cr.  compared. 

one  with  horror  to  read  of  fome  of  them,  and  yet 
Mr.  Langles,  the  encomiaftof  this  fyftem,  com- 
mends even  this  part  of  it.  He  calls  the  bramins- 
"  faithful  guardians  of  the  facred  truft  confided  to 
them.  They  difpofc  of  it,"  he  fays,  p.  9,  "  with 
the  grcateft  difcretion,  teaching  the  common  peo- 
ple what  they  muft  know  in  order  to  the  practice 
of  virtue,  and  to  enjoy  the  happinefs  inseparable 
from  a  life  free  from  reproach."  Let  us  now  hear 
what  this  difcretion  is,  and  whether  the  object  of  it 
be  to  ferve  themfelvei,  or  the  common  people. 

The  Inftkutes  of  Menu  fay,  p.  289,  "  Let  the 
three  twice  born  clafies,  remaining  .firm  in  their 
feveral  duties,  carefully  read  the  Veda,  but  a  bra- 
xnin  muft  explain  it  to  them,  not  a  man  of  the  o- 
ther  two  clafles.  This  code  of,  law  fhould  be  ftu- 
died  with  extreme  care  by  a  learned,  bramin,  and 
fully  explained  to  his  diiciples,  but  by  no  oth^r 
man,"  p,  14. 

The  extreme  caution  with  which  this  rule  is  ob- 
ferved  we  fee  in  the  conduct  of  the  learned  Bra- 
min with  refpecl  to  Sir.  William  Jones.  The 
bramin  who  read  to  him  the  Jnflitutes  of  M^nu, 
the  work  out  of  which  I  have  made  fo  many  ex* 
tracts,  and  out  of  which  I  ihall  give  many  more, 
requefted  moft  earneftly  that  his  name  might  be 
concealed ;  nor  would  he  read  it  on  any  confide- 
ratiou  on  a  forbidden  day  of  the  moon,  or  without 

th« 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and, 

the  ceremonies  prefcribed  for  a  le&ure  on  the  Ve- 
da. What  thofe  are  will  be  feen  in  their  place. 
When  the  chief  magi  (Irate  of  Benares  endeavoured, 
at  the  requeft  of  Sir  William,  to  procure  a  Perfian 
tranflation  of  it,  the  pundits  of  his  court  pofitively 
and  unanimoufly  refufed  to  aflift  in  the  work  ( Pre- 
face, p.  16.)  But  to  proceed  with  the  Inftitutes  of 
Menu  on  this  head. 

"  A  bramin  mud  never  read  the  Veda  in  the 
prefence  of  a  Sudra,  p.  101,  Let  him  not  give  ad- 
vice to  a  Sudra,  nor  what  remains  from  his  table, 
nor  clarified  butter  of  which  part  has  been  offered 
to  the  Gods,  nor  let  him  give  fpiritual  council  to 
fuch  a  man,  nor  inform  him  perfonally  of  the  legal 
expiation  of  his  fin.  p,  99.  Surely  he  who  declares 
the  law  to  a  fervile  man,  and  he  who  inftrucls  him 
in  the  mode  of  expiating  fin,"  (except,  it  is  added 
by  fir  William  Jones,  by  the  intervention  of  a 
priefl)  "  finks  with  that  very  man  into  the  hell  call- 
ed Afamorita"  ib. 

Thefe  are  the  reftri&ions  on  the  part  of  the  bra- 
min. Let  us  now  fee  what  is  the  confequence  to 
the  too  curious  and  inquifitive  Sudra,  who  fhould 
pry  into  thefe  myfleries,  from  the  Code  of  Gentoo 
laws.  "  If  a  man  of  the  Soudre  read  the  beads  of 
the  Shatter,  or  the  Pouran  to  a  bramin,  let  the  ma- 
giflrate  heat  fome  bitter  oil,  and  pour  it  into  the 
forefaid  Soudre's  mouth.  Jf  jJhe  Soudre  Men  to 

the 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      137 

the  beids  of  the  Shafter,  then  the  oil,  heated  as 
before,  fhall  be  poured  into  his  ear,  and  argeez> 
and  wax  (hall  be  melted  together,  and  the  orifices 
of  his  ears  ihall  be  flopped  up  therewith.  This 
ordinance  ferves  alfo  for  the  Argol  tribe."  But  e- 
ven  this  is  not  all,  or  the  worft,  that  may  happen  to 
the  poor  Sudra,  who  mould  endeavour  to  gather 
fome  of  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  the  bramin's  ta- 
ble, to  which  it  feems,  in  any  fenfe  of  the  words, 
he  has  no  right.  "  If  a  Sooder  man  always  per- 
forms worfhip  and  the  jug,  the  magiftrate  (hall  put 
him  to  death,  or  fine  him  two  hundred  ajlruphies, 
p.  263.  If  he  get  by  heart  the  beids  of  the 
Shafter,  the  magiftrate  ihall  put  him  to  death/' 
p.  261. 

Other  heathen  nations  had  fimilar  illiberal  re- 
Unctions.  C£  The  Egyptian  priefts  concealed  their 
knowledge  in  tales  and  romantic  relations,  dark 
hints,  and  refemblances  of  truth.  (Plutarch  de  Ifi- 
de,  &c.)  Pythagoras  learned  of  them  to  adopt  a 
fymbolical  and  myfterious  way  of  teaching,  con- 
cealing his  fentiments  in  dark  riddles,  as  Do  not 
eat  in  a  chariot,  Do  not  fit  on  a  tneafure,  Do  not 
plant  a  palm  tree,  Stir  not  the  fire  with  a  knife  with', 
in  the  houfe,"  ib. 

The  Druids  made  a  great  my  fiery  of  their 
knowledge.  They  committed  nothing  to  writ- 
ing,  thoVCaefar  fays  they  had  the  ufe  of  letters, 

S 


338  The  Injlitiitions  of  Mofes  and 

and  they  gave  no  inftruclion  but  in  their  facrecf 
groves. 

Such  is  the  boa  Red  difcretion  with  which  thefe 
'venerable  teachers  difpenfed  knowledge  to  the  lower 
claffes  of  their  fellow  citizens.     But  how  different 
in  this  refpect    were  the   institutions  of     Mofes, 
which  are,  notwithstanding,  faid  to  be  borrowed 
from  them.     He  made  no  diftinclion  of  cajls,  con- 
fining a  man  to  the  profeffion  of  his  father,  whether 
it  fuited  him  or  not,  and  elevating  fome  tribes  to 
the  degradation  of  others.     In  the  Hebrew  fy  ft  em 
there  was,  indeed,  an  hereditary   prieilhood,  but 
in  that  one  circumflance  the  refemblance  termi- 
nates.    The  tribe  to- which  the  prieflhood  belong- 
ed, fo  far  from  being  rich,    was   excluded  from  a 
ihare  in  the  divifion   of  the  land,  and  confined  to 
certain    cities  with  a  fmall  fpace  round  them   for 
gardens,    fo   that  they  were  generally  objects   of 
charity,  efpecially  the  common  Levites ;  and  their 
cafe  is  frequently  mentioned   together  with  that  of 
the  ftranger,  the  fatherlefs,  and  widow,  who  were 
of  courfe  poor  and  deflitute. 

The  principal  part  of  the  fubfiflence  of  the  Le- 
vites was  the  tythes,  with  refpecl  to  which  they 
were,  of  courfe,  at  the  mercy  of  their  countrymen; 
and  the  payment  of  thefe  tythes  depended  upon 
the  attachment  of  the  people  to  the  law  which  en- 
*  joined  the  payment  gf  tiieru,  Confecmently,  it 

operated 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &?c.  compared. 

operated  as  an  obligation  on  the  priefts  and  Levites 
to  inftruft  the  people  in  the  law,  and  preferve 
them  in  their  adherence  to  it,  which  was  declared 
to  be  their  proper  buiinefs.  Accordingly,  there  is 
not  in  all  their  hiftory  one  example  of  a  Hebrew 
pricft  attaining  much  wealth,  or  political  influence, 
in  the  country,  before  the  Babylonifh  captivity. 
And  from  the  leaning  which  the  people  in  general 
had  to  other  religions,  the  priefts  of  Baal  were  ge- 
nerally more  popular  than  they.  As  to  the  criminal 
law,  it  was  the  very  fame  to  the  priefts  and  all  the 

people. 

So  far  were  the  priefts  and  Levites  from  being 
enjoined  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance,  that  cer- 
tain times  were  exprefsly  appointed  on  which  they 
were  to  give  them  inftruclion  with  refpeft  to  the 
law ;  and  therefore  Moff s,  in  blefTmg  each  of  the 
twelve  tribes,  fays  of  the  Levites,  Deut.  xxxiii,  10- 
They  fliall  teach  Jacob  thy  judgments,  and  Ifrad 
thy  law.  Every  ieven  years  they  were  obliged  to 
read  over  the  whole  of  the  law  at  the  feaft  of  taber- 
nacles, which  they  might  eafily  do  to  the  people 
alfembled  in  groups  for  the  purpofe. 

But  befides  this  exprefs  provifion  for  the  inftruc- 
tion  of  the  people,  they  were  all,  without  exception, 
:earneftly  exhorted  to  ftudy  it  continually,  and 
teach  it  to  their  children,  Deut.  vi,  6.  Thefe  word* 
which  I  command  thee  this  day  /hall  be  in  thine 


The  Inftitittion*  of  Mofes  and 

heart,  and  thou  Jhalt  teach  them  diligently  to  thy 
children,  and  JJi alt  talk  of  them  when  thou  Jittejl  in 
thy  houfe,  and  when  then  walkejl  by  the  way,  and  when 
thou  liejt  down,  and  when  thou  rifejl  up. 

There  was  no  provifion  for  a  king  in  the  original 
conftitution  of  the  Hebrew  government,  and  the 
nation  was  folemnly  warned  againft  adopting  that 
form  of  government ;  yet  Mofes,  forefeeing  that 
they  would  have  kings,  appointed  that  every  king 
Ihould,  with  his  own  hand  write  a  copy  of  the  law  ; 
it  being  of  particular  confequence  that  he  who  was 
to  adminifter  the  laws  Ihould  be  well  acquainted 
with  them.  Certainly,  then,  if  the  people  in  ge- 
neral were  ignorant  of  their  inflitutions,  or  neg- 
lected to  obferve  them,  the  fault  was  not  in  the  fyf- 
tem  itfelf. 


SECTION 


Thofe  vf  the  Hindoos,  (3c.  compared. 


SECTION    XL 

Of  the  Prerogatives  of  the  Kings. 

IT  is  cerainly  no  particular  objection  to  the  fyf- 
tem  of  the  Hindoos  that  their  princes  were  ar- 
bitrary ;  becaufe,  excepting  the  fingle  cafe  of  the 
Hebrews,  all  the  governments  in  the  Eaft  ever  have 
been  £b  ;  the  princes  appointing  '"horn  they  plea- 
fed  for  their  advifers  or  afliftants,  and  taking  their 
advice,  and  employing  them,  as  they  thought  pro- 
per. But  it  is,  on  the  other  hand,  no  recommen- 
dation of  the  fyftem,  that  their  laws,  fuppofed  to 
come  immediately  from  the  Supreme  Being  him- 
felf,  favour  that  fyftem,  and  that  fuch  an  idea  is  gi- 
ven of  them  asmufl  tend  to  feed  the  pride  of  kings, 
encourage  them  to  opprefs  their  fubje&s,  and  difturb 
the  peace  of  their  neighbours.  Yet  fuch  is  the  ne- 
ceffary  inference  from  the  accounts  of  the  power  of 
kings  and  magiftrates  in  their  folemn  codes. 

"  The  Magiftrates/'  fay  the  pundits  who  com- 
piled the  Code  of  Gentoo  laws,  p.  no,  "  muft 
be  looked  upon  in  the  light  of  dewtatis.  In  truth, 
the  magiftrate  is  a  dewtah  in  a  human  form,  born  in 
this  world.5'  According  to  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu, 
kings  have  a  divine  origin,  feparate  from  that  of  the 

reft 


The  Injlitulions  of  Mofes  and 

reft  of  mankind.  "  Kings,"  they  fay,  p.  159, 
"  are  formed  of  particles  drawn  from  the  fubftance 
of  Indra,  Pavana,  Yama,  Surya,  of  Agni,  and  Va- 
runa,  of  Chandra,  and  Cuvera.  And  fince  a  king 
was  compofed  of  particles  drawn  from  thefe  chief 
guardian  deities,  he  confequently  furpaffes  all  mor- 
tals in  glory  :  Like  the  fun,  he  burns  eyes  and  hearts, 
nor  can  any  human  creature  on  earth  even  gaze  on 
him.  He  is  fire  and  air,  both  fun  and  moon,  the 
god  of  criminal  juftice,  the  genius  of  wealth,  the 
regent  of  waters,  the  lord  of  the  firmament.  A 
king,  even  tho'  a  child,  muil  not  be  treated  light- 
ly from  the  idea  that  he  is  a  mere  mortal.  No, 
he  is  a  powerful  divinity,  who  appears  in  a  hu- 
man (hape.  Fire  burns  only  one  perfon  who  care- 
lefsly  goes  too  near  it,  but  the  fire  of  a  king  in 
wrath  burns  a  whole  family,  with  all  thdr  cattle  and 
goods.  He,  fure,  muft  be  the  perfect  eflence  of  ma* 
jefty,  by  whofe  favour  abundance  rifes  on  her  lotos, 
in  whofe  valour  dwells  conqueft,  in  whofe  anger 
death." 

The  king  is  exhorted  to  aft  as  the  father  of  his 
people,  p.  169,  but  he  may  affume  an  oppofite 
characler  if  he  pleafes.  He  is  directed  to  appoint 
"  feven  or  eight  minifters,"  p.  166,  "and  having 
alked  their  opinions,  to  do  what  is  moft  beneficial 
for  him  in  public  affairs."  But  they  could  only 
advife.  They  had  no  power  of  control!.  The 

king 


Thofcof  the  Hindoos  j  &?c.  compared. 

king  is  indeed,  promifed  all  profperity  if  he  acquit 
himfelf  well,  but  they  are  fuch  promifes  as  the 
Supreme  Being  only  can  make  good.  Treating 
of  good  princes,  itisfaid,  p.  277,  that  "  in  their 
dominions  children  are  born  in  due  feafon,  and 
enjoy  long  lives.  There  the  grain  of  hufband- 
men  rifes  abundantly.  There  no  younglings  die, 
nor  is  one  deformed  animal  born."  If,  however, 
this  be  the  criterion  of  a  well  governed  kingdom, 
few,  I  apprehend,  will  be  found  to  be  fo. 

In  like  manner,  every  thing  with  which  a  bad 
prince  is  threatened  is  in  the  power  of  God  only. 
"  That  king  who  thro'  weaknefs  of  intellect  op- 
prefles  his  people  will,  together  with  his  family, 
be  deprived  both  of  his  kingdom  and  his  life, 
p.  173.  A  king  addicted  to  the  vices  arifing  from 
anger  may  even  lofe  his  life,"  p.  164.  But  this  is 
to  be  underilood,  according  to  the  tranflator's  in- 
terlineation, of  the  effects  of  public  refentment, 
and  not  from  any  regular  power  of  controll,  or  of 
punifhment. 

The  lead  interruption  given  to  the  pleafures  of 
a  prince  expofes  the  offender  to  a  mod  unreafona- 
ble  punimment.  "  In  any  place,"  fay  the  Gentoo 
laws,  "  where  the  magiflrate  is  playing  with  any 
perfon  at  Choperbazee,  or  tables,  or  any  other  fuch 
kind  of  game;  in  that  cafe,  if  any  perfon,  without 
permiffion  of  the  magiftrate,  interpofe  with  his 

band 


144  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

hand,  or  by  fpeaking,  the  magiftrate  mall  put  him 
to  death,"  p.  269. 

The  emolument  which  a  prince  may  derive  from 
his  office,  independent  of  any  exceeding,  which 
would  be  called  oppreflion,  feems  according  to  the 
Inflitutes  of  Menu,  to  be  very  exorbitant.  "  By 
low  handicraftsmen,  artificers  and  fervile  men,  who 
fupport  themfelves  by  labour,  the  king  may  caufe 
work  to  be  done  for  a  day  in  each  month,  p.  176. 
Let  the  king  take  a  twentieth  part  of  the  profit 
on  fales,  p.  240.  Of  cattle,  of  gems,  of  gold,  and 
filver,  a  fiftieth  part  may  be  taken  by  the  king  ; 
of  grain  an  eighth  part,  a  fixth,  or  a  twelfth,  ac- 
cording to  the  difference  of  foil,  and  the  labour  ne- 
ceffary  to  cultivate  it.  He  may  alfo  take  a  fixth 
part  of  the  annual  increafe  of  trees,  flefh  meet,  ho- 
ney, clarified  butter,  perfumery,  medical  fubftan- 
ces,  liquids,  flowers,  roots,  and  fruits,  of  garden 
leaves,  pot  herbs,  grafs,  utenfils  made  of  leather, 
or  cane,  earthen  pots,  and  all  things  made  of  done/' 
p.  175.  "  Of  the  reward  for  what  every  fubjecl 
reads  in  the  Veda,  for  what  he  facrifices,  for  what 
he  gives  in  charity,  for  what  he  performs  in  wor- 
fhip,  the  king  juflly  takes  a  fifth  part  in  confequence 
of  protection/'  p.  228.  This  is  the  more  extra- 
ordinary, as  it  mufl  be  contributed  by  the  bramins. 
"In  return,  however,  for  this,  befides  the  favour 
that  the  prince  is  requeued  to  ihew  to  the  bramins, 

as 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared. 

as  mentioned  before,  they  fhare  with  him  in  many 
of  the  fines,  and  in  fome  cafes  the  king  himfelf  is 
fubjecl;  to  a  fine,  tho'  it  is  not  faid  who  is  to  exa6t 
it.  "  Where  another  man  of  low  birth  fhall  be 
fined  one  pana,  the  king  (hall  be  fined  a  thou- 
fand ;  and  he  ihall  give  the  fine  to  the  priefts, 
or  cart  it  into  the  river.  This  is  a  facred  rule,"  p. 
232.  <;  Let  no  virtuous  prince  appropriate  the 
wealth  of  a  criminal  in  the  higheft  degree.  Having 
thrown  fuch  a  fine  into  the  waters,  let  him  offer  it 
to  Baruna,  or  let  him  beftow  it  on  fome  prieft 
eminent  for  learning  in  the  fcripture,"  p.  277. 

Such  is  the  conduct  prefcribed  to  the  prince 
with  refpecl  to  his  own  fubjecls.  With  regard 
to  his  neighbours,  he  is  encouraged  to  get  all  he  can 
from  them,  in  order  to  enlarge  his  own  territories, 
tho'  when  he  has  acquired  new  fubje&s  he  is  ad- 
vifed  to  govern  them  well.  Mr.  Langles,  the 
great  encomiaft  of  this  fyftem,  quotes  with  appro- 
bation from  a  Hindoo  treatife  on  the  art  of  govern- 
ment the  following  pafTage  which  would  have  been 
highly  pleafing  to  Alexander  the  Great,  Jenghis 
Kan,  or  Tamerlane.  "  He  draws  a  tribute  from 
thofe  that  are  weaker  than  himfelf.  He  endeav- 
ours to  fow  diffention  among  the  troops  of  thofe 
fovereigns  whofe  power  gives  him  umbrage,  and 
may  become  fatal  to  him.  Tho'  the  prince  whofe 
territories  border  on  his  feem  to  be  his  friend,  he 

T  ought 


146  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ought  not  to  have  the  leaft  confidence  in  him." 

P-  54- 

The  Inflitutes  of  Menu  hold  the  fame  language. 
"  By  a  king  whofe  forces  are  always  ready  for  action 
the  whole  world  may  be  kept  in  awe.  Let  him 
then  by  forces  always  ready  make  all  creatures 
living  his  own,  p.  172.  Thus  fully  performing 
all  duties  required  by  the  law,  let  a  king  feek" 
(jitjlly,  as  Sir  William  Jones  adds)  "to  poflefs  re- 
gions yet  unpofieffed,  and  when  they  are  in  his  pof- 
feflion,  let  him  govern  them  well,"  p.  278.  But 
who  is  to  controll  him  if  he  do  not. 

Mr.  Langles  himfelf  will  hardly  fay  that  the 
Hebrew  fyftem  was  borrowed  from  this,  or  from 
any  other  form  of  government  fubfifting  in  the 
time  of  Mofes.  According  to  his  conftitution, 
there  was  not  to  be  any  king  in  Ifrael.  The  nation 
was  to  be  governed  ultimately  by  God,  to  whom 
they  were  direfted  to  have  recourfe  in  all  cafes  of 
great  emergency,  and  ordinarily  by  a  council  of 
elders,  or  heads  of  the  twelve  tribes,  their  refolves 
being  aftei  wards  confirmed  by  the  whole  congrega- 
tion, in  what  manner  aiTembled  we  cannot  tell ;  fo 
that,  in  faft,  the  Hebrew  form  of  government  con- 
fiiied  of  three  eftates.  When  the  heads  of  the 
tribes  were  affembled,  it  is  probable  that  the  High- 
prieft  prefided,  tho'  this  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  neceffary.  The  priefls,  as  a  body,  were  too 

much 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &?c.  compared.       147 

much  difpcrfed  to  be  able  to  combine  for  any  politi- 
cal purpofe,  nor  does  it  appear  that  they  ever 
attempted  any  thing  of  the  kind,  or  that  they  were 
regarded  with  jealoufy  on  that  account.  At  one 
time  indeed,  the  Highprieft  protected  the  infant 
heir  of  the  crown  from  the  attempts  of  the  queen 
mother  to  take  his  life;  but  as  foon  as  he  was  of  age 
he  was  made  king. 

When  the  people,  notwithilanding  the  earned 
remonftrance  of  Samuel,  by  the  direction  of  God 
himfelf,  againft  their  adopting  "a  kingly  govern- 
ment, were  refolved  to  be  like  their  neighbours,  in 
having  a  king,  he  was  appointed  by  God,  and  not 
by  the  priefls.  Before  this  change  in  the  form  of 
their  government  the  Ifraelites  were  governed  on 
all  extraordinary  occafions  never  by  any  prieft,  but 
always  by  a  civil  judge,  whofe  office,  if  he  acquit- 
ted himfelf  well,  feems  in  general  to  have  been 
for  life  y  but  the  ordinary  adminiflration  of  affairs 
did  not  require  his  interpoiition.  In  this  refpecl: 
the  conftitution  of  the  Hebrews  refembled  that 
of  the  Northern  nations  of  Europe,  as  defcribed 
by  Tacitus.  No  civil  power,  however,  was  here- 
ditary. 


SECTION 


148  The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and 


SECTION     XII. 

Of  the  Situation  of  Women  among  the  Hindoos. 

I  RATHER  wonder  that  the  refpeft  which  all 
Frenchmen  profefs  to  have  for  the  female  fex 
Ihould  not  have  lowered  Mr.  Langles's  high  opini- 
on of  the  Hindoo  inftitutions.  For  nothing  can 
be  more  humiliating  than  the  light  in  which  wo- 
men are  always  reprefented  in  them.  He  him- 
felf  fays,  p.  179,  that  according  to  the  Veda's  the 
fouls  of  women,  as  well  as  thofe  of  all  individuals 
of  the  inferior  cafts,  are  condemned  to  continual 
tranfmigrations,  till  they  are  regenerated  in  the  bo- 
dies of  men, 

If  the  general  character  of  women  were  fuch  as  the 
Hindoo  writings  exhibit,  there  is  no  fuppofition 
that  can  be  entertained  concerning  them  too  unfa- 
vourable ,  nor  any  treatment  of  them  too  bad.  In 
the  Hitopadfs,  tranfiated  by  Mr.  Langles,  it  is  faid 
that  "  faithleflhefs,  violence,  falfehood,  extreme 
avarice,  a  total  want  of  good  qualities,  and  impu- 
rity, are  vices  natural  to  the  female  fex,"  p.  95. 
And  both  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  and  the  Code 
of  Gentoo  laws,  may  be  quoted  as  better  authori- 
ties in  fupport  of  the  fame  opprobrious  character, 

but 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      149 

but  certainly  not  the  writings  of  Mofes.  "  It  is," 
fay  the  Inftitutes,  p.  44,  "  the  nature  of  women  in 
this  world  to  caufe  the  fedu&ion  of  men,  for  which 
reafon  the  wife  are  never  unguarded  in  the  compa- 
ny of  females." 

The  fame  character  is  given  more  at  large  in  the 
following  pafTage.  "  Thro*  their  paffion  for  men, 
their  mutable  temper,  their  want  of  fettled  affecti- 
on, and  their  perverfe  nature,  let  them  be  guarded 
in  this  world  ever  fo  well,  they  foon  become  alie- 
nated from  their  huibands.  Yet  mould  their  huf- 
bands  be  diligently  careful  in  guarding  them,  tho* 
they  well  know  the  difpofition  with  which  the  Lord 
of  the  creation  formed  them.  Menu  allotted  to 
fuch  women  a  love  of  their  bed,  of  their  feat,  and  of 
ornaments,  impure  appetites,  wrath,  weak  flexibili- 
ty, defireof  mifchief,  and  bad  conduct.  Women 
have  no  bufinefs  with  the  texts  of  the  Veda.  Thus 
is  the  law  fully  fettled.  Having  therefore  no  evi- 
dence of  law,  and  no  knowledge  of  expiatory  texts, 
finful  women  muft  be  as  foul  as  falfehood  itfelf, 
and  this  is  a  fixed  rule.  To  this  effect  many  texts 
which  may  mew  their  true  difpofition  are  chaunted 
in  the  Veda's,"  p.  247. 

The  Gentoo  laws,  compiled  by  the  learned  pun- 
dits of  Hindoftan,  are  in  perfect  unifon  with  thefe 
Inftitutes  of  Menu.  Of  Women  they  fay,  p.  240, 
fomething  fo  grofs,  that  I  cannot  copy  it.  What 

follows 


150  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

follows  is  bad  enough.  "  Women  have  fix  quali- 
ties, the  firft  an  incredible  defire  for  jewels  and  fine 
furniture,  handfome  clothes,  and  nice  vi&uals,  the 
fecond  immoderate  luft,  the  third  violent  anger, 
the  fourth  deep  refentment,  i.  e.  no  perfon  knows 
the  fentiments  concealed  in  their  hearts,  the  fifth 
another  perfon's  good  appears  evil  in  their  eyes,  the 
fixth  they  commit  bad  actions." 

The  fouls  of  women  muft  certainly  have  been 
very  much  depraved  in  a  prior  Hate  to  correfpond 
to  their  character  in  this  world.  And  this  is  fufrici- 
cntly  intimated  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu.  Treat- 
ing of  the  duties  of  a  prince  they  fay,  p.  178, 
"  Since  thofe  who  are  difgraced  in  this  life  by 
reafon  of  their  fins  formerly  committed  are  apt  to 
betray  fecret  councils,  fo  are  talking  birds,  and  fo 
above  all  arc  women.  Them  he  muft  for  this  rea- 
fon remove."  And  yet  according  to  Mr.  Holwell, 
women  are  fuppofed  to  be  animated  by  the  moft 
benignant  and  lead  culpable  of  the  apoftate  debtah, 
or  angels,  vol.  2,  p.  75. 

Such  being  in  the  opinion  of  the  Hindoo  law- 
givers, the  natural  character  of  women,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  little  regard  is  paid  to  their  evidence 
in  courts  of  juftice.  "  A  man  untainted  with 
covetoufnefs,"  fay  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  199, 
may  be  a  fole  witnefs,"  and  will  have  more  weight 

than 


Thofe  of  th*  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

than   many  women  ;    becaufe  the  female  under- 
Handing  is  apt  to  waver." 

Neither  can  we  be  furprized  that  the  birth  of  a 
femnle  is  no  caufe  of  rejoicing  in  a  Hindoo  family. 
"  If  a  wife  bear  only  daughters,"  fay  the  Gentoo 
laws,  p.  252,  "the  hulband  may  ceafe  to  cohabit 
with  her."  In  this  cafe,  according  to  the  Infli- 
tutes  of  Menu,  a  man  after  waiting  eleven  years, 
may  marry  another.  The  fame  law  fays  that 
"  if  a  wife  fpeak  unkindly  to  her  hufband  me 
may  be  fuperfeded  by  another  without  delay/'  p. 


It  is  in  perfect  agreement  with  their  ideas  of  the 

female  character  that  women  muft  always  be  under 

the  abfolute  controll  of  men.     "A  woman,"  fay 

the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,    "  is  never  fit  for  indepen- 

dence, p.  245.     A  woman  mufl  never  feek  inde- 

pendence, p.  142.     By  a  girl,  or  a  young  woman, 

or  by  a  woman  advanced  in  years,  nothing  muft 

be  done,  even  in  her  own   dwelling,  according  to 

her  mere  pleafure,"  p.  1  4  1  .     "  A  man  both  day  and 

night  mufl  keep  his  wife  in  fubjeclion,  that  me  by 

no  means  be  miflrefs  of  her  own  actions.     If  the 

wife  have  her  own  free  will,  notwithftanding  (he  be 

fprung  from  a  fuperior  caft,  me  yet  will  behave 

amifs,"  (Gentoo  laws,  p.  249.) 

The  fubje&ion  of  a  wife  to  her  hufband  has  no 
bounds.     "  A  faithful  wife,  who  wifhes   to    attain 

in 


152  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

in  heaven  the  manfion  of  her  hufband,  muft  do 
nothing  unkind  to  him,  be  he  living  or  dead.     A 
wife  muft  always  rife  Before  her  hufband,  but  never 
eat  with  him,    (Gentoo  laws,  251.)     She  muft  not 
drefs,    or  take  any   amufement  in  his  abfence,    p. 
253.     Let  her  macerate  her  body  by  living  volun- 
tarily on  pure  flowers,  roots  and  fruits,  but  let  her 
not,  when  her  lord  is  deceafed,  even   pronounce 
the  name  of  another  man/'   ( Injlitutzs  of  Menu,    p. 
143.)  "  Tho'  inobfervant  of  private  duties,  or  ena- 
moured of  another  woman,  or  devoid    of    good 
qualities,  yet  a  hufband  muft  be  conftantly  rever- 
ed as  a  god  by  a  virtuous  wife,"  p.  142.     In  this 
cafe   furcly,  (he  might  be  allowed  a  manfion    in 
heaven,   equal  to  that  of  her  hufband  ;  but  much 
more  than  this  is  required  if  me  would  make  fure 
of  fo  great  a  happinefs,  even  be  burned  alive  with 
his  corpfe.     Whether  (he  do  this  or  not,  file  muft 
not  on  any  account  marry  again.     "  The  marriage 
of  a  widow /'  fay  the   Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  253, 
"is  never  named  in  the  text  concerning  marriage. 
This  pra&ice,  fit  only  for  cattle,  is  reprehended  by 
the  learned  bramins." 

In  one  cafe,  however,  a  woman  is  allowed  the 
liberty  of  difpofing  of  herfelf.  "  Three  years  let 
a  damfel  wait,  tho'  fhe  be  marriageable,  but  after 
that  term,  let  her  chufe  for  herfelf,  a  bridegroom  of 
equal  rank/'  (Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  256.) 

Tho' 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

Tho*  obedience  be  fo  rigoroufly  required  of  a 
wife,  it  is  not  to  go  unrewarded.  "  She  who  de- 
ferts  not  her  lord,  but  keeps  in  {abjection  to  him 
in  her  fpeech  and  her  body,  fhall  attain  his  manfi- 
on  in  heaven,  ane5  ">y  the  virtuous  in  the  world  be 
called  Sadheri,  goad  and  faithful.  (Inftitutes  of  Me- 
nu,  p.  249.)  But  if  a  wife  be  difloyal  to  her  huf- 
band,  fhe  incurs  difgrace  in  this  life,  and  will  be 
born  in  the  next  from  the  womb  of  a  Shakal,  or 
be  tormented  with  horrible  difeafes  which  punifh 
vice,"  ib. 

When  women  are  confidered  in  this  degrading 
light,  and  treated  in  this  difrefpeftful  manner, 
efpecially  as  not  qualified  to  read  their  facred 
books,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  are  in  general 
very  ignorant,  and  perhaps  undeferving  of  the 
confidence  that  is  never  repofed  in  them.  There 
are  few  women  it  is  faid  that  can  either  read  or 
write,  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hijlory,  &c.  of  the 
Hindoos,  vol.  2,  p.  47.) 

How  much  more  confonant  to  reafon  is  the 
doctrine  of  our  fcriptures  concerning  the  two  fexes. 
According  to  them  the  man  has  no  advantage  be- 
fides  that  fuperiority  which  muft  be  given  to  one 
of  them.  In  every  other  refpecl;  they  are  confider- 
ed, and  treated,  as  perfectly  equal.  They  have 
the  fame  moral  duties,  and  the  fame  future  reward 
in  profpect.  in  a  flate  in  which  all  diflinction  of 

U  fex 


154  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

fex  will  ceafe,  where  there  will  be  no  marrying  or 
giving  in  marriage,  but  all  will  be  alike,  as  the  angels 
of  God  in  heaven,  Mat.  xxii,  30.  As  to  the  natural 
or  moral  difpofition,  there  is  no  intimation  in  the 
fcriptures,  or  the  writings  of  Mofes,  of  women 
being  at  all  inferior  to  men.  Both  have  their  na- 
tural paffions,  but  neither  of  them  are  confidered 
as  mon*  difpofed  to  criminal  indulgence  than  the 
other.  And  with  refpeft  to  examples,  there  are 
virtuous  and  excellent  ones  of  women  as  well  as 
of  men.  If  fome  of  the  moft  fliining  characters  be 
thofe  of  men,  fo  are  alfo  fome  of  the  worft.  And 
women  being  naturally  more  domeftic,  and  com- 
ing lefs  into  public  life,  their  charaders  and  con- 
duel:  are  not  in  general  fo  confpicuous,  and  of 
courfe  not  fo  much  noticed  in  hiftory  as  thofe  of 
men. 


SECTION7 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  '  (3c.  compared.       155 


SECTION     XIII. 


Of  the  Devotion  of  the  Hindoos. 


is,  no  doubt,  fomething  fublime,  tho* 
extravagant  and  abfurd,  in  the  profeffed  ol> 
jeft  of  the  Hindoo  devotion,  which  is  the  detach- 
ment of  the  foul  from  every  thing  corporeal,  and 
its  union  to  the  Supreme  Being,  from  which  it  had 
its  origin  ;  and  it  is  poffible  that,  by  the  force  of 
imagination,  fome  perfons  may  believe  that  they 
have  attained  to  this  exalted  ftate.  According  to 
the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  357,  "  he  who  fre- 
quently performs  interefted  rites  attains  to  an  equal 
ftation  with  the  regents  of  the  lower  heavens  ;  but 
he  who  frequently  performs  difinterefled  acls  of  re- 
ligion becomes  for  ever  exempt  from  the  body,com- 
pofed  of  the  five  elements.  Equally  perceiving 
the  Supreme  Sovereign  in  all  beings,  and  all  bein  s 
in  the  Supreme  Sovereign,  he  facrifices  his  own  fpi- 
rit  by  fixing  it  on  the  fpirit  of  God,  and  approach- 
es the  nature  of  that  fole  divinity,  who  mines  by 
his  own  effulgence." 

This  intenfe  devotion  the  Hindoos  fuppofe  to 
comprife  all  other  duties.  "  In  this  life,  as  well 
as  in  the  next,  the  ftudy  of  the  Veda's,  to  acquire 

the 


156  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

the  knowledge  of  God,  is  held  the  moft  efficacious 
of  the  fix  duties  in  procuring  felicity  to  man.  For 
in  the  knowledge  and  adoration  of  the  one  God, 
which  the  Veda's  teach,  all  the  rules  of  good  con- 
duel:  are  fully  comprifed,"  ib.  p.  356. 

This  union  with  God  here  they  think  leads  to 
the  final  abforption  into  his  effcnce  hereafter.  "The 
ijian  who  perceives  in  his  own  foul  the  fupreme 
foul,  prefent  in  all  creatures,  acquires  equanimity 
towards  them  all,  and  fhall  be  abforbed  at  lail  in 
the  higheft  effence,  even  that  of  the  Almighty  him- 
felf/'  ib.  p.  362. 

This  idea  of  the  effect  of  mere  contemplation  to 
raife  the  foul  to  a  flate  of  union  with  God,  fuppo- 
fed  to  be  the  higheft  attainment  of  man  here  or 
hereafter,  led  to  all  the  practices  of  the  chriftian 
monks,  who  in  fact  only  copied  the  heathen  Pla- 
tonifts,  whofe  notions  were  derived  from  an  Orien- 
tal fource.  Unhappily,  this  ftate  of  the  extraor- 
dinary exaltation  of  the  foul  was  fuppofed  to  be  ef- 
fected not  by  any  thing  that  deferves  to  be  called 
devotion,  but  by  certain  practices  and  ceremonies, 
which  have  no  connection  whatever  with  real  devo- 
tion or  virtue ;  by  which  I  mean  the  due  govern- 
ment of  the  paflions,  and  confequently  a  proper 
conduct  in  life.  With  the  Hindoos  this  abftracti- 
on  from  all  fenfible  objacts,  and  the  union  of  the 
foul  with  God,  ends  in  nothing  but  a  flupid  apa- 
thy 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       157 

thy  and  infenfibility,  and  that  in  general  only  af- 
fected ;  as  it  leaves  them  a  prey  to  fome  of  the  worft 
paffions  of  human  nature. 

What  the  Hindoos  call  prayer,  and  fuppofe  to 
be  fo  efficacious,  is  nothing  that  Jews  or  Chriftians 
fignify  by  that  term.  It  is  no  proper  addrefs  to  the 
Supreme  Being,  expreffive  of  the  fentiments  of 
humility,  veneration,  and  fubmiffion,  but  the  mere 
repetition  of  certain  words,  the  pronunciation  of 
which  can  only  be  fuppofed  to  operate  like  a  charm. 
Nay,  we  are  told  that  the  worfhippers  of  Vichnou 
pretend  that  his  name,  tho'  pronounced  without  any 
determinate  motive,  or  even  in  contempt,  cannot 
fail  to  produce  a  good  effect.  This  alone,  they  fay, 
has  the  power  of  effacing  all  crimes.  (Ezourvedam, 
vol.  2,  p.  88.) 

The  whole  of  the  Hindoo  devotion,  Mr.  Lord 
fays,  confifts  in  the  frequent  repetition  of  the  names 
and  attributes  of  God,  p.  87.  The  firft  thing  in 
their  prayer,  fays  the  tranflator  of  Ezourvedam,  is 
to  pronounce  the  word  cum,  then  excluding  all 
feniible  objecls,  even  forbearing  to  breathe,  and 
to  think  only  on  God.  Prayer  thus  made,  they 
fay,  fcrves  for  the  pardon  of  fin  and  purification, 
p.  288. 

This  word  own,  or  aum,  or  om,  on  the  pronunci- 
ation of  which  fo  much  is  fuppofed  to  depend,  fig- 
nifies,  according  to  Sir  William  Jones,  Brahma, 

Vichnou, 


152  The  Injlitutions  df  Mofes  and 

Vichnou,  and  Seva,  or  the  three  powers  of  crea- 
tion, prefervation,  and  deftruftion.  "  It  forms,"  he 
fays,  "  amyfticalword,  which  never  efcapes  the  lips 
of  the  pious  Hindoo.  They  meditate  on  it  in  filence. 
Perhaps,  he  adds,  it  is  the  Egyptian  on,  common- 
ly fuppofed  to  mean  the  fun,  ( Dijfcrtations  rela- 
ting to  AJla,  vol.  i.  p.  33.)  and  by  the  ancient  ido- 
laters the  folar  fire,"  ib.  p.  61.  62.  Tho'  this  myf- 
tical  word,  together  with  many  others,  of  which  a 
fimilar  ufe  is  made,  cannot  but  be  well  known,  the 
bramins  pretend  to  make  a  great  fecret  of  it.  Their 
prayers,  fays  the  tranflator  of  Ezourvedam,  con- 
fift  in  often  repeating  letters  and  fyllables  full  of  e- 
nergy  many  times,  and  the  bramins  teach  them  to 
their  difciples,  by  whifpering  in  their  ear,  and  re- 
commend inviolable  fecrecy,  vol.  2,  p.  240. 

This  is  confirmed  in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  p. 
343.  "  The  primary  triliteral  fy liable,  in  which 
the  three  Veda's  themfelves  are  comprized,  mufl 
be  kept  fecret  as  another  triple  Veda.  He  knows 
the  Veda  who  knows  the  fenfe  of  that  word."  This 
word  is  often  ufed  together  with  thegayatri,  which 
the  editors  of  the  Gentoo  laws  calls  a  Hindoo  in- 
cantation, p.  81,  the  mention  of  which  occuis  fo 
often  in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  and  which  is  fup- 
pofed to  have  the  greateft  efficacy  in  the  pretended 
fecond  birth.  "  Such  is  the  advantageous  privilege 
of  thofe  who  have  a  double  birth,  from  their  natu- 
ral 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.      159 

ral  mother,    and  from  the  Gayatri,  their  fpi ritual 
mother,"  p.  357. 

The  following  curious  circumftances  muft  be 
attended  to  with  refpeft  to  this  word,  and  others 
of  peculiar  efficacy,  as  prefcribed  in  the  Inflitutes 
of  Menu.  Treating  of  the  duties  of  the  bramin, 
it  is  faid,  p.  27,  28  ;  "  If  he  have  fitten  on  culm 
of  cufa,  with  their  points  towards  the  Eaft,  and  be 
purified  by  rubbing  that  holy  grafs  on  both  his 
hands,  and  be  farther  prepared  by  three  fuppref- 
fions  of  breath,  each  equal  in  time  to  five  fhort 
vowels,  he  then  may  fitly  pronounce  om.  Brahma 
milked  out  from  the  three  Veda's  the  letter  a,  the 
letter  u,  and  the  letter  m,  which  form  by  their 
coalition  the  triliteral  monofyllable,  together  with 
the  three  my  fieri  ous  words  bhur,  bhuvah,  fwer  (or 
earth,  Jliy,  heaven.)  A  prieft  who  fhall  know  the 
Veda,  and  fhall  pronouce  to  himfelf  both  morning 
and  evening  that  fyllable,  and  that  holy  text,  pre- 
ceded by  the  three  words,  mall  attain  the  fanftity 
which  the  Veda  confers.  And  a  thrice  born  man 
who  fhall  a  thoufand  times  repeat  thofe  three  (or 
om,  the  vyahritis,  and  the  gayatri)  apart  from  the 
multitude,  fhall  be  releafed  in  a  month  even  from 
a  great  offence,  as  a  fnake  from  the  flough.  The 
three  great  immutable  words,  preceded  by  the  tri- 
literal fyllable,  and  followed  by  the  gayatri,  which 
confifts  of  three  meafures.  muft  be  confidered  as 

the 


i6o  Ths  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

the  mouth  or  principal  part  of  the  Veda.  Who- 
ever (hall  repeat  day  by  day  for  three  years,  with* 
out  negligence,  that  facred  text,  lhall  hereafter  ap- 
proach  the  divine  effence,  move  as  freely  as  air, 
and  aflame  an  etherial  form.  All  rites  ordained  in 
the  Veda,  oblations  to  fire,  and  folemn  facrifices, 
pafs  away,  but  that  which  paiTes  not  away  is  de- 
clared to  be  the  fy liable  om,  thence  called  aifliara^ 
fince  it  is  a  fymbol  of  God,  the  lord  of  created 
beings." 

According  to  other  accounts,  the  prayers  of  the 
Hindos  coniift  not  merely  in  filent  meditation  on 
this  word,  or  any  others,  but  in  the  a&ual  repeated 
pronunciation  of  it,  together  with  fome  others.  La 
Croze  fays,  p.  257.  279.  "  The  conflant  prayer 
of  fome  of  them  is  ohn  namo  Naraiana.  He  alfo 
fays  the  religion  of  others  conn  (Is  in  repeating  a 
form  of  prayer  which  confifts  of  five  letters  or  fyl- 
lables,  which  they  have  conftantly  in  their  mouths, 
viz.  Nama  Tchivaia,  which  fignifies  Blejfed,  be 
Tchiven. 

The  devotional  ceremony  called  Sandavana, 
which  is  performed  by  the  bramins  every  day,  is  as 
follows.  At  fun  rife  they  fetch  water  from  a  pond 
in  the  hollow  of  their  hand.  This  they  throw 
fometimes  before  and  fometimes  behind  them,  or 
over  their  moulder,  invoking  Brahma,  and  pro- 
nouncing his  praifes.  They  then  throw  fome  of 

the 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   Grc.  compared.      161 

the  water  towards  the  fun.  and  conclude  with  bath- 
ing.    (Sonnerat,  vol.  i,  p.  252.) 

That  curious  traveller  Pietro  delle  Valle  gives 
the  following  general  account  of  the  worfhip  of  the 
Hindoos,  p.  137.  "  Lights  being  fetup  in  all  the 
temples,  and  the  ufual  mufic  of  drums  and  pipes 
founding,  I  faw  in  one  temple  a  priefi  dance  be- 
fore the  idol  all  naked,  fave  that  he  had  a  fmall 
piece  of  linen  over  his  privities,  as  many  of  them 
continually  go.  He  had  a  drawn  fword  in  his 
hand,  which  he  flourifhed  as  if  he  had  been  fenc- 
ing, but  his  motions  were  nothing  but  lafcivious 
geftures.  And,  indeed,  the  greatefl  part  of  their 
worfhip  of  the  gods  confifts  in  nothing  but  mufic, 
fongs,  dances,  not  only  pleafant,  but  lafcivious, 
and  in  waiting  upon  their  idols  as  if  they  were 
living  perfons,  viz.  in  prefenting  to  them  things  to 
eat,  wafliing  them,  perfuming  them,  giving  them 
betel  leaves,  dying  them  with  fan ders  wood,  carry  ^ 
in vr  them  abroad  in  prcceffions,  and  fuch  other 
things  as  the  country  people  call  (ports." 

Can  any  perfon  think  this  kind  of  worfhip  com- 
parable to  the  decent  and  folemn  worfhip  of 
the  Hebrew  temple,  in  which  the  truly  fublirne, 
and  in  every  fenfe  of  the  word  devotional  pfalms  of 
David  were  fung,  compositions  expreffive  of  every 
fentiment  that  becomes  men  with  refpeft  to  their 
creator,  benefactor,  and  moral  governor,  always 

V  reprefentcd 


*  62  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

reprefented  as  a  being  omniprefcnt,  of  fpotlefs  pu- 
rity, univerfal  benevolence,  and  mercy,  together 
with  the  ftri&eft  juflice  ;  not  needing  the  aid  of 
any  inferior  beings;  his  own  eyes  being  in  every 
place,  beholding  the  evil  and  the  good,  Prov.  xv.  3, 
and  feeing  even  the  inmoft  receffes  of  the  heart,  with 
a  view  to  reward  all  men  according  to  their  works  ; 
not  the  alternately  waking  and  fleeping  God  of  the 
Hindoos,  orferved  in  fo  fluped  a  manner,  but  by 
truly  pious  affections,  and  aclive  fervices  to  man- 
kind. 

Much  of  the  religion  of  the  Hindoos  confifls  in 
oblations  to  the  gods,  by  which  is  never  meant  the 
Supreme  Being,  the  only  object  of  the  Hebrew 
worfhip,  but  the  inferior  deities,  and  to  the  manes  of 
their  anceftors,  of  which  the  Hebrews  had  no  idea 
at  all ;  and  much  ceremony,  and  a  fuperflitious  at- 
tention tomany  trifling  cireumitances,  accompani- 
ed thofe  a&s  of  religion.  The  following  are  fome 
of  them,  as  prefcribed  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu. 
"  Let  all  the  drefled  food  be  very  hot,  and  let  the 
brumins  eat  it  in  ftlence.  nor  let  them  declare  the 
quality  of  the  food,  even  tho'  aiked  by  the  giver. 
As  long  as  the  meffes  continue  warm,  as  long  as 
they  eat  it  in  faience,  fo  long  as  the  quality  of  the 
food  is  not  declared  by  them,  fo  long  the  Manes 
feed  upon  it,  p,  82.  Rice  taken  up,  and  not  fup- 
ported  by  both  hands,  the  malevolent  ajiwas 

quickly 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  6?c.  compared.      163 

quickly  rend  into  pieces,  p.  80-  In  making  of- 
ferings to  the  manevS,  let  him  at  no  time  drop  a 
tear,  let  him  on  no  account  be  angry,  let  him  fay 
nothing  falfe,  let  him  not  touch  the  tables  with 
his  food,  let  him  not  even  make  the  dimes.  A 
tear  fends  the  meffes  to  the  refllefs  ghofts,  anger  to 
the  foes,  falfehood  to  the  dogs,  contact  with  the 
foot  to  the  demons,  agitation  to  linners,"  p.  81. 

The  following  alfo  are  among  the  rules  relating  to 
the  oblations  to  the  Manes,  who  feern  to  be  as  much 
refpecled  as  the  gods  to  whom  they  ufually  facrifice.; 
from  which  it  may  be  inferred  .that  thofe  gods  are  of 
no  very  high  rank.  "  Mere  water  offered  with  faith 
to  the  progenitors  of  men  in  vefTels  of  filver,  or 
adorned  with  filver,  proves  the  fource  of  incor- 
ruption,  p.  78.  An  oblation  of  the  bramins  to 
their  anceflors  tranfcends  an  oblation  to  the  deities, 
becaufe  that  to  the  deities  is  confidered  as  the 
opening  and  completion  of  that  to  the  anceflors, 
ib.  Let  the  offering  to  the  gods  be  at  the  begin- 
ning and  end  of  the  Sradda.  It  rnuft  not  begin 
and  end  with  an  offering  to  the  anceftors.  For  he 
who  begins  and  ends  it  with  an  offering  to  the  Pa- 
tris,  quickly  perifhes  with  his  progeny,"  ib. 

The  ceremonies  ufed  by  the  people  of  Malabar 
during  what  they  call  prayer  arefaid  to  be  excef- 
fively  tedious.  Some  times  the  greateft  part  of  the 
.time  is  taken  up  with  them,  and  they  mud  not  be 

omitted 


164  The  Institutions  of  Mofes  and 

omitted,  or  abridged,  even  in  the  prefcnce  of  the 
king.     (Phillips  Account,  p.  6.) 

The  Parfi's  are  no  lefs  fuperflitious  in  their  pray- 
ers. A  Parfi,  fays  Mr.  Richardfon,  p.  26,  can- 
iiot  even  pare  his  nails,  or  cut  his  hair,  without 
hundreds  of  unmeaning  prayers,  and  the  moft  te- 
dious and  ridiculous  obfervances.  But  the  omif- 
fion  of  them,  he  adds,  is  gainful  to  the  priefts  ; 
for  abfolution  muft  be  purchafed,  and  a  fine  is  the 
indifpenfable  confequence  of  the  mofl  minute  and 
involuntary  failure. 

The  reading  and  teaching  of  the  Veda's  is  attend- 
ed with  as  many  fuperflitious  obfervances  by  the 
Hindoos  as  their  prayers  ;  and  for  the  following  cu- 
rious particulars  we  have  the  firfl  authority,  viz. 
the  Inilitutes  of  Menu,  which  I  mall  therefore  li~ 
terally  copy  ;  and  they  are  only  fome  of  the  ne- 
ceffary  attentions  that  are  required  on  the  occafion. 
We  even  find  by  Sir  William  Jones' account  above- 
mentioned,  that  the  reading  of  the  Inftitutes  of 
Menu,  from  which  thefe  extracts  are  taken,  require 
the  fame,  or  fimilar  attentions. 

"  A  bramin  beginning  and  ending  a  Ie6lure  on 
the  Veda  mufl  always  pronounce  to  himfelf  the  fyl- 
L'ble  om  i  and  unlefs  the  fyllable  cm  precede,  his 
learning  will  flip  away  from  him  j  and  unlefs  it  fol* 
lows,  nothing  will  be  long  retained,  p.  26.  The 
Jreaditig  of  fuch  as  wifh  to  attain  the  excellent  re- 
ward 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared. 

ward  of  virtue  muft  continually  be  fufpended  in 
tovns  and  cities,    and  always  where  an  offeniivc 
fmell  prevails.     In  a  diilricl;  thro'  which  a  corpfe  is 
carried,  and  in  the  prefence  of  an  unjuft  perfon,  the 
reading  of  the  fcripture  muft  ceafe  ;   and  while  the 
iound  of  whipping  is  heard,   and  in  a  promifcuous 
affembly  of  men,  p.  102.      In  water,  nearmidnight, 
and  while  the  two  natural  excretions  are  made,   or 
with  a  remnant  of  food  in  the  mouth,  or  when  the 
fradda  has  recently  been  eaten,    let  no  man  even 
meditate  in  his  heart  on  the  holy  texts.     A  learned 
bramin  having  received  an  invitation  to  the  obfe- 
quies  of    a  fingle  anceftor  muft  not  read  the  Veda 
for  three  days,    nor  when  the  king  has  a  fon  born, 
nor  when  the  dragon's  head  caufes  an  eclipfe,    p. 
102  ;     As  long  as  the  fcent  and  unftuofity  of  per- 
fumes remains  on  the  body  of  a  learned  prieft,  who 
has  partaken  of  an  entertainment,   fo  long  he  muft 
abftain  from  pronouncing  the  texts  of  the   Veda. 
Let  him  not  read  lolling  on  a  couch,   nor  with  his 
feet  raifed  on  a  bench,   nor  with  his  thighs  crofted, 
nor  having  lately  fwallowed  meat  or  rice,  and  other 
food  given  on  the  birth  or  death  of  a  relation,   nor 
in  a  cloud  of  duft,  nor  while  arrows  whiz,  or  a  lute 
founds,  nor  in  either  of    the  twilights,    nor  at  the 
conjun&ion,  nor  on  the  fourteenth  day,  nor  at  the 
oppofition,   nor  on  the  eighth  day,    of  the  moon. 
The  dark  lunar  day  deftroys  the  fpiritual  teacher, 

the 


i66  The  Injlituticns  of  Mofcs  and 

the  fourteenth  deftroys  the  learner,  the  eighth  and 
the  day  of  the  full  moon  deftroys  all  remembrance 
of  fcripture  ;  for  which  reafon  he  muft  avoid  read- 
ing on  thofe  lunar  days.  Let  no  bramin  read  while 
duft  falls  like  a  mower,  nor  while  the  quarters  of 
the  firmament  are  inflamed,  nor  while  fhakals  yell, 
nor  while  dogs  bark  or  yelp,  nor  while  afles  or  ca- 
mels bray,  nor  while  men  in  company  chatter,  p. 
104.  Never  let  him  read  on  horfeback,  nor  on  a 
tree,  nor  on  an  elephant,  nor  in  a  boat,  nor  on  an 
afs,  nor  on  a  camel,  nor  (landing  on  barren  ground, 
nor  borne  in  a  carriage,  nor  with  an  indigeftion, 
nor  after  vomiting,  nor  with  four  eructations,  nor 
when  the  wind  vehemently  blows.  If  a  beaft  ufed 
in  agriculture,  a  frog,  a  cat,  a  dog,  a  fnake,  an  ich- 
neumon, or  a  rat,  pafs  between  the  lecturer  and 
his  pupil,  let  him  know  that  the  lecture  muft  be  in- 
termitted for  a  day  and  a  night,  p.  105.  Knowing 
this  collection  of  rules,  let  the  learned  read  the 
Veda  on  every  lawful  d*iy,  having  firft  repeated  in 
order  the  pure  eflence  of  the  three  Veda's,  viz,  the 
pranava,  the  vyahritis,  and  the  gayatri"  p.  104. 

Let,  now,  all  the  books  of  Mofes  be  perufed 
with  the  moft  prejudiced  eye,  nothing  like  any  of 
thefe  ridiculous  obfervances  will  be  found  in  them. 
Certain  forms  were  prefcribed  in  facrificing,  to  pre- 
vent confufion  ;  and  otherwife  fuch  whimfical  ob- 
&rvances  as  thofe  above  mentioned  might  have  been 
<  introduced. 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos,  "&?c.  compared.       167 

introduced.  For  why  fhould  the  Ifraelites  be  more 
free  from  them  than  other  nations,  when  they  were 
equally  ignorant ;  and  fuperflition  has  always  pre- 
vailed in  proportion  to  ignorance  ?  And  tho'  we 
may  not  be  able,  at  this  diftance  of  time,  to  fee  the 
reafons  for  all  the  obfervances  prefcribed  to  the  He- 
brews, yet  there  is  nothing  in  any  of  them  fo  ap- 
parently abfurd,  but  that  it  may  well  be  fuppofed 
there  was  a  good  reafon  for  it  at  the  time  of  their 
inflitution.  Their  mere  oppofition  to  fuch  abfurd 
cuftoms  as  univerfally  prevailed  in  the  heathen 
world,  fo  as  to  render  the  two  modes  of  worfhip 
incompatible  with  one  another,  would  alone  be  a 
good  reafon  for  the  appointment  of  any  particular 
rite.  For  the  great  object  of  the  religion  of  the 
Hebrews  was  to  preferve  in  that  nation,  and  from 
them  to  diffufethro'  the  world,  the  knowledge  and 
worfhip  of  the  true  God,  and  thereby  to  counteract 
the  polytheifm  and  idolatry  which  then  univerfally 
prevailed,  and  more  efpecially  in  nations  the  mofl 
famed  for  fuperior  wifdom  and  civilization. 

How  came  this  one  inconfiderable  nation,  and 
no  other,  to  efcape  the  univerfal  contagion  ?  It 
was  not  from  any  want  of  natural  propenfity  to  it, 
as  appears  plainly  enough  in  the  whole  courfe  of 
their  hiftory.  The  controll  of  that  propenfity, 
therefore,  mu-ft  have  come  from  fome  other  fource 
than  thcmfelves,  and  could  only  have  been  from 
God.  SECTION 


31 68  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 


SECTION     XIV. 

Of  the  Rtfkriclions  of  the  Hindoos  and  other  ancient 
Nations  with  Rtfpeft  to  Food. 

A  GREAT, part  of  the  religion  of  the  Hin- 
doos, as  of  that  of  all  other  ancient  heathen 
nations,  con  lifts  in  the  auflerities  to  which  they  fub- 
Jed  themfelves.  By  means  of  thefe,  joined  with 
contemplation,  and  fuch  devotion  as  has  been  def- 
cribed,  they  imagine  they  promote  the  purification 
of  the  foul,  and  prepare  it  for  its  reunion  to  the  Su- 
preme Being.  But  the  Hindoos  go  far  beyond  the 
reft  of  mankind  in  voluntary  reftridions  and  mor- 
tifications. 

The  great  maxim  on  which  this  fyftem  of  aufte- 
rity  is  built  is  thus  expreffed  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Me- 
nu, p.  29.  "  Man  by  the  attachment  of  his  or- 
gans to  fenfual  pleafure  incurs  guilt,  but  having 
fubdued  them,  he  thence  attains  heavenly  blifs." 
Among  the  lighteft  reftriclions  to  which  the  hea- 
thens have  fubje&ed  themfelves  is  the  celebacy  of 
fome  of  their  priefts.  But  this  is  not  the  cafe  of 
the  bramins,  tho'  it  is  that  of  the  Lama's  of  Tibet, 
(  Di/ertaticns  relating  to  A/la,  vol.  2.  p.  172.)  and 

alfo 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       169 

alfo  of  the  priefls  of  Budda,  and  Somonocodorn, 
who  however  may  quit  the  order,  and  then  marry 
whenever  they  pleafe,  ib.  p-  27.     They  are  alfo  of 
no  particular  tribe,  but  are  chofen  out  of  the  body 
of  the  people. 

But  reftriclions  with  refpe6l  to  eating  and  drink- 
ing are  numerous  with  the  Hindoos;  and  not  be- 
ing, like  thofe  of  the  Hebrews,  founded  on  any  ra- 
tional fyftetn,  muft  be  very  inconvenient ;  and 
thefe  reftritlions  affecl;  all  the  claiTes  except  the  low- 
eft.  Among  other  things,  all  fermented  or  fpiritu- 
ous  liquors  are  forbidden.  "  No  inebriating  liquor 
fhall  be  taken  by  the  chief  of  the  twice  born/'  (In- 
Jlihttcs  of  Menu,  p.  320.) 

The  reafon  why  the  liquor  which  we  call  rack, 
a  fpirit  diflilled  from  rice,  is  not  allowed  is  particu- 
larly curious,  as  given  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu. 
"Since  the  fpirit  of  rice  is  diftilled  from  mala,  or 
the  filthy  refufe  of  the  grain ;  and  iince  mala  is 
al  fo  the  name  for  Jin,  let  no  bramin,  Chatriya,  or 
Vaify  drink  that  fpirit,"  p.  320.  Wine  was 
thought  to  have  in  it  fomethicg  of  a  pcftiferous 
nature  by  the  Egyptians,  as  having  come  not  from 
God,  but  fome  evil  genius.  All  the  Eaftern  fages 
had  the  fame  idea.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  Magi, 
and  the  ancient  Arabs,  from  whom  it  was  adopted 
by  Mahomet,  (Jablonjki,  vol.  i,  p.  131,  &c.) 
The  prohibition  of  wine  is  among  the  precepts 

W  of 


The  Inftifations  of  Mofes  and 
of  Fo.     (Modern   Univtrfal    Hijlory,    vol.    8,  p. 


In  the  laws  of  Mofes  the  ufe  of  wine  is  only 
forbid-len  to  the  pnofts  during  their  attendance  in 
the  Lncciiary,  and  to  thofe  who,  for  what  time  they 
pleafed,  took  upon  themfelves  the  vow  of  the  Naza- 
rites.  It  was,  however,  underilood  by  the  Jews-, 
that  the  priefls,  even  during  their  officiating  in  the 
fan&uary,  were  only  forbidden  to  take  fo  much 
wine  as  could  intoxicate  them  ;  and  this  was  evi- 
dently to  prevent  any  indecency  in  the  public  wor- 
fhip.  At  other  times  the  priefts,  as  well  as  other 
Ifraelites,  were  allowed  a  moderate  ufe  of  that  va- 
luable beverage.  The  pfalmifl  very  properly  ex- 
preffes  his  gratitude  to  God  for  it,  as  that  which 
maketh  glad  the  heart  of  man,  Ps.  civ.  15.  Lemu- 
el, in  the  book  of  Proverbs,  with  good  reafon  fays, 
Pr.  xxxi.  6.  '  Give  jlrong  drink  to  him  that  is  ready 
to  perifh,  and  -wine  to  thcfe  that  be  of  heavy  hearts. 
And  Paul  advifes  Timothy,  not  to-  confine  himfelf 
to  water,  but  to  take  a  little  wine  for  his  Jlcmactit 
fake,  i.  Tim.  v.  23, 

Thofe  of  the  Hindoos  who  are  fubjetl  to  the 
moft  reflations  with  refpecl:  to  diet  are  the  bra- 
mins,  which  fhews  that  this  fyftemwas  not  altoge- 
ther founded  on  pritllciaft,  but  was  the  refult  of 
fpeculation  and  ferious  opinion.  The  following 
are  the  inilru&ions  of  Menu  on  the  fubjecl;,  "  Gar- 

lick, 


Thofcof  the  Hindoos,  £?c.  compared.      171 

lick,  onions,  leeks,  mufhrooms,  which  no  twice 
torn  man  muft  eat,  vegetables  raifed  in  dung,  red 
gums,  or  reiins,  exuding  from  trees,  and  juices  from 
wounded  ftems,  the  fruit  Jilu,  and  the  thickened 
milk  of  a  cow  within  ten  days  after  her  calving,  a 
prieft  muft  avoid  with  great  care ;  as  alfo  rice  pud- 
ding mixed  with  tila,  frumenty,  rice  milk,  and  baked 
bread,  which  have  not  been  firft  offered  to  fomc 
deity;  flefli  meet  alfo,  the  food  of  gods,  arid  clari- 
fied butter,  which  have  not  been  firft  touched  with 
holy  texts  well  recited/'  They  are  alfo  forbidden 
to  eat  "  the  milk  of  a  camel,  or  that  of  any  quad- 
raped  with  a  hoof  not  cloven,  that  of  an  ewe,  or 
that  of  a  co  win  heat,  or  whofe  calf  is  dead,  or  ab- 
fent  from  her,  that  of  any  foreft  beaft,  except  the 
buffalo,  the  milk  of  a  woman,  and  any  thing  na- 
turally fweet,  but  acidulated,  muft  all  be  carefully 
ihunned.  But  among  fuch  acids  buttermilk  may 
be  fwallowed,  and  every  preparation  of  buttermilk, 
and  all  acids  extracted  from  pure  flowers,  roots  or 
fruits,  not  cut  with  iron  :  Let  every  twice  born 
man  avoid  carniverous  birds,  and  fuch  as  live  in 
towns,  the  fparrow,  the  breed  of  the  town  cock, 
web-footed  birds,  and  thofe  which  dive  to  devour 
fifti.  "  Let  him  avoid  meat  kept  at  a  daughter 
houfe,  and  dried  meat.  He  who  eats  the  flefh  of 
any  animal  is  called  the  eater  of  that  animal  itfclf, 
arid  a  fifh  eater  is  an  eater  of  all  flefti.  From  fifih, 

therefor^ 


172  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

therefore,  he  muft  diligently  abftain.  Yet  the  two 
fifties,  called  fathina,  and  rohita  may  be  eaten 
when  oflPered  at  a  re  pad  in  the  houfe  of  the  gods, 
or  the  manes.  A  twice  born  man,  who  has  inten- 
tionally eaten  a  mufhroom,  the  flcfh  of  a  tame  hog, 
or  a  town  cock,  a  leek,  or  an  onion,  or  garlick,  is 
degraded  immediately,"  p.  133,  &c.  The  Gen- 
too  laws  alfo  fay,  p.  261,  that  "  if  a  bramin  vo- 
luntarily eat  onions,  or  garlick,  the  magiflrate  fhall 
banilh  him  from  the  kingdom." 

The  fame  reftricTions  are  not  obferved  by  other 
fefts.  A  cow  may  be  eaten  in  Siam,  and  the  Siarn- 
efe  fometimes  kill  animals  which  are  moft  refpecled 
in  Hindoftan,  ( EzQurvcdam,  p.  57.)  The  priefls 
of  Budda  and  Somonocodom  may  eat  flefh,  but 
not  kill  the  animal,  ( Differtations  relating  to  Afia, 

Vol.    2,   p.  27.) 

To  a  genuine  Hindoo  nothing  appears  more 
heinous  than  the  killing,  and  much  more  the  eat- 
ing, of  any  thing  that  had  life,  "  No  mortal,"  fay 
the  Inilitutes  of  Menu,  "exifts  more  fmful  than 
he  who,  without  an  oblation  to  the  manes,  defires 
to  enlarge  his  own  flelh  with  the  flefh  of  another 
creature/'  p.  129. 

The  Hindoo  lawgivers  fuppofe  that  fometimes 
the  defire  to  eat  animal  food  may  be  almofl  irrefif- 
tible.  In  this  cafe  there  is  the  following  curious 
proviiion  in  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  127. 

«  Should 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      173 

';  Should  a  prieft  have  an  earned  defire  to  eat  flefh 
meat,  he  may  gratify  his  fancy  by  forming  the 
image  of  fome  beaft  with  clarified  butter,  thicken- 
ed, or  he  may  form  it  with  dough  ;  but  never  let 
him  form  a  wifh  to  kill  any  animal  in  vain." 

The  following  penalty  for  killing  and  eating  any 
animal  muft  be  fufficient  to  deter  any  perfon  who 
can   believe  that  it  will    be  inflicted.     Others  the 
threatening  will  affe&  in  a  different  manner.     "  As 
many  hairs  as  grow  on  the  beaft,  fo  many  iimilar 
deaths  fhall  the  flayer  of  it  for  his  own  fatisfadion 
in  this  world  endure  in  the    next,  from  birth  to 
birth/'  ( Injlitutes   of  Menu,  p.   127.)     But   then 
the  reward  for  the  drift  obfervance  of  the  injunction 
is  likewife  very  great.     "  He  who  injures  no  ani- 
mated creature  fhall  attain  without  hardfhip  what- 
ever he  thinks  of,  whatever  he  ftrives  for,  whatever 
he   fixes    his  mind  on,"  ib.  p.   129. 

Notwithstanding  thefe  prohibitions,  the  facrifke 
cf  animals  having  been  practiced  from  time  im- 
memorial, and  alfo  the  partaking  by  the  worlhip- 
pers  of  what  was  thus  given  to  the  gods,  even  the 
Hindoos  make  an  exception  to  their  rule  in  this 
cafe.  "  On  folemn  offerings  to  a  gueft,  at  a  facri- 
fice,  and  in  holy  rites  to  the  manes,  or  the  gods, 
but  on  thofe  occafions  only,  may  cattle  be  flain. 
This  law  Menu  ena&ed,"  (Inftit-utes  of  Menu,  p. 

128.) 


The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and 

128.)  In  the  idea  of  the  Hindoos  cattle  were  ori- 
ginally created  for  this  fole  purpofe,  and  in  their 
opinion  much  more  depends  upon  it  than,  without 
particular  information  from  the  highefl  authority, 
we  mould  have  fufpeaed.  "  By  the  felfexiftent 
in  perfon,"  fay  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  "were 
beafts  created  for  facrifice ;  and  facrifice  was  or- 
dained for  the  increafe  of  this  univerfe.  The 
Slaughter  therefore  of  beafts  for  facrifice  is  in  truth 
no  (laughter,"  p.  128.  F.  Bouchet  alfo  fays,  that 
tho*  the  bramins  are  not  allowed  to  eat  meat,  they 
are  obliged  to  eat  it  at  a  facrifice  called  Ethiatn, 
when  a  fheep  is  killed,  and  they  divide  it  among 
themfelves  (Religious  Ceremonies,  p.  382.)  * 

Other  ancient  nations,  and  efpecially  the  Egyp- 
tians,   whofe  inftitutions  and  cuftoms  are  perhaps 

of 

*  Mr.  Holwell,  however,  fays  that  originally  the  Hin* 
doos  had  no  bloody  ftcrifices  of  any  kind,  and  that  there 
is  no  allufion  to  that  mode  of  worfhip  in  the  Chartah 
Bhade,  that  the  bramins  fay  that  none  but  Moifafoor 
himfclf  could  have  invented  it,  it  is  fo  repugnant  to 
the  true  fpirit  of  devotion,  and  fo  abhorrant  to  the  eter- 
nal one,  vol.  2,  p.  84.  This  is  fo  dire£tly  contrary  to 
every  other  authority,  and  fo  improbable  in  itfelf,  as  all 
ether  nations  without  a  fmgle  exception  facrificed  ani- 
mals, that  I  have  no  doubt  of  its  being  a  miftake 
of  this  writer,  who  yet  had  the  means  of  the  bed  infor- 
mation. 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared. 

of  as  great  antiquity  as  thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  laid 
themfelves  under  various  fuperftitious  reftriftions 
with  refpeft  to  food.  Herodotus  fays  the  Egypti- 
ans neither  fowed  nor  ate  beans,  nor  would  they 
tafte  the  head  of  any  animal,  lib.  2,  fee.  32.  In 
this,  according  to  Plutarch,  they  were  imitated  by 
the  Romans,  who  alfo  when  they  were  purified, 
ab  flamed  from  pulfe  (Roman  Quejiions.)  The  E- 
gyptians,  he  alfo  fays,  ate  no  flefh  of  fheep  or 
fwine,  nor,  in  the  time  of  their  purifications,  did 
they  eat  fait  (De  Ifidt  &  Ofiridc.)  They  confi- 
dered  the  fea  as  the  excrement  of  Typhon,  and  e- 
ven  of  the  world,  and  held  the  fea,  and  fea  fait,  in  a- 
bomination,  tho'  they  would  uferock  fait.  For  this 
reafon  they  had  a  diflike  to  fifh  ( Jallonfki,  vol.  i, 
p.  84.)  According  to  Juveral  they  never  ate  any 
animals  that  bore  wool,  any  more  than  onions  and 
leeks. 

Porrum  et  cepe  nefas  violare,  et  frangere  morfu. 

Lanatis  animalibus  abftinet  omnis 

Menfa.     Nefas  illic  fcetum  jugulare  Capellas. 

SAT.  15. 

All  the  Egyptians,  however,  did  not  obferve 
the  fame  rules  of  diet.  Some  of  them,  Herodotus 
fays,  abftained  from  fome  kinds  of  fea  fifh,  and 
others  from  other  kinds.  Some  would  eat  none  that 
were  catched  with  a  hook,  left  itfhould  have  touched 

a  pike, 


176  TAe  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

a  pike,  which  they  thought  would  pollute  it.  The 
people  of  Syene  abstained  from  the  lea  bream,  and 
the  priefts  from  ail  fifh,  lib.  2,  fee.  37.  The  Sy- 
rians had  the  fame  obje&ion  to  fifh.  Plutarch  in 
his  treatife  on  Superftition  fays  the  fuperftitious 
believe  that  if  a  man  tafte  of  a  minow,  or  bleak, 
the  Syrian  goddefs  will  eat  thro'  his  fhins,  fill  his 
body  with  fores,  and  diiTolve  his  liver.  Pytha- 
goras, he  alfo  fays,  ate  no  fifh. 

The  rriofl  probable  reafon  that  I  have  met  with 
for  the  diflike  which  the  Egyptians  had  to  onions 
and  beans,    and  alfo  to  wool  in  garments,  may  be 
colle&ed   from    Plutarch's    treatife   de    I  fide  and 
Oliride.      Having    a   prejudice    againft  matter  in 
general,  they  had  a  ftronger  againft  excrementiti- 
cus    matter,  and  every    thing  that    promoted    it. 
Hair,  and  wool,  they  confidered  in    the  light  of 
excrements ;  and  the  eating  of  onions  and  beans, 
befides  being  too  nutritious,  and  thereby  promot- 
ing a  great    increafe  of  matter  in   the    body,  and 
efpecially  of  fat,  which  they  regarded  as  excremen- 
titious,  was  the  occafion,    they  thought,  of  offen- 
five  excrements.     For  this  reafon  they  would  not 
allow  their  facrcd  bull  to  be  too  fat,  arid  to  prevent 
this  they  never  gave  him  to  drink  of  the  water  of  the 
Nile,  which  was  fuppofed  to  have  that   tendency. 
This  alfo  was  the  reafon  why  the   Egyptian  priefts 
cut  off  their  hair,  and  alfo  why  they  were  circum- 

cited, 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared, 

cifed,  the  forelkin  being  deemed  both  fuperfluous, 
and  the  caufe  of  uncleannefs.  According  to  He- 
fiod,  as  quoted  by  Plutarch,  men's  nails  were  cut 
at  the  fsftivals  of  the  gods. 

Let  this  account  of  prohibited  meats  be  com- 
pared with  that  of  Mofes,  and  it  will  appear, 
whatever  Mr.  Langles  may  fay  to  the  contrary, 
that  the  one  was  not  copied  from  the  other.  They 
are  formed  on  quite  different  principles.  By 
Mofes  nothing  probably  was  forbidden  to  be  eaten 
that  is  really  proper  for  the  food  of  man  in  the 
climate  of  Paleftine.  In  his  rules  we  fee  nothing 
fanciful,  or  arbitrary  ;  whereas  nothing  can  be 
more  evidently  fo  than  feveral  of  the  Hindoo  re- 
ftri&ions,  and  we  are  puzzled  in  our  conjectures 
concerning  the  reafons  of  them.  Some  fay  their 
abftinence  from  flefh  meat  was  enjoined  on  account 
of  the  fuppofed  tranfmigration  of  human  fouls  into 
the  bodies  of  the  animals.  Others  fay  it  was  be- 
caufe  their  gods  were  formerly  concealed  in  their 
forms.  But  this  will  hardly  account  for  their  ob- 
jection to  eating  beans,  onions,  and  other  whole- 
fome  vegetables. 


X  SECTION 


178  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 


SECTION     XV. 

Of  the  Aujlerities  of  the  Hindoos  and  other  heathen 
Nations. 

T  NOW  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  more 
-*-  ferious  aufterities.  It  being  fuppofed  that  the 
element  of  -water,  as  well  as  that  of  fire,  has  the 
power  of  purifying  the  foul,  and  that  the  water  of 
fome  rivers  has  more  efficacy  in  this  refpeft  than 
others,  pilgrimages  for  the  purpofe  of  bathing  in 
diftant  rivers  is  very  common  with  the  Hindoos. 
The  river  that  is  generally  preferred  is  the  Ganges. 
In  this,  fays  Mr.  Lord,  p.  87,  they  not  only  bathe, 
but  to  it  they  carry  offerings ;  and  immenfe  quan- 
tities of  precious  Hones  are  thrown  into  it. 

Many  perfons  add  particular  aufterities  to  their 
journeys.  "  They  go"  fays  Bernier  "  long  pilgri- 
mages, not  only  (lark  naked,  but  loaded  with  iron 
chains,  like  thofe  that  are  about  the  necks  of  ele- 
phants." <:  Not  long  ago 'one  of  them  finished 
meafurifig  the  diflance  between  Benares  and  Jag- 
gernaut  by  alternately  (Iretching  himfelf  on  the 
ground,  and  rifmg,  which  muft  have  taken  up 
years  to  complete/'  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hijtory> 
£?£,  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  i,  p.  241.) 

But 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       179 

But  the  great  bulinefs  of  the  expiation  of  crimes, 
and  the  advancement  of  the  purification  of  the  foul, 
has  led  thofe  people  to  much  greater  aufterities  than 
thefe.  Thinking  they  could  not  mortify  the  body 
too  much,  they  have  inflicted  upon  themfelves  the 
moil  dreadful  torments,  that  it  is  in  the  power  of 
nature  to  fupport,  and  even  beyond  this.  For 
many  of  them  have  knowingly,  and  in  various 
ways,  fome  of  them  the  mod  mocking  to  think  of, 
put  an  end  to  their  own  lives.  The  following  are 
the  directions  folemnly  prefcribed  in  the  Inflitutes 
of  Menu,  p.  150,  for  thofe  bramins  who  aim  at 
perfection. 

"  Having  remained  in    the  order  of  a   houfe- 

o  t 

keeper,  let  the  twice  born  man  dwell  in  a  foreft, 
his  faith  being  firm,  and  his  organs  wholly  fub- 
dued.  When  the  father  of  a  family  perceives  his 
mufcles  become  flaccid,  and  his  hair  grey,  and 
fees  the  child  of  his  child,  let  him  then  feek  refuge 
in  a  foreft.  Let  him  eat  green  herbs,  roots,  and 
fruit.  Let  him  wear  a  black  antelope's  hide,  or  a 
veflure  of  bark.  Let  him  bathe  evening  and  morn- 
ing. Let  him  fuffer  the  hair  of  his  head,  his 
beard,  and  his  nails,  to  grow  continually,  p. 
145,  &c.  Honey  and  flefh  meat  he  muf>  avoid, 
and  all  forts  of  mufhrooms.  Let  him  not  eat  ^e 
produce  of  ploughed  land,  nor  fruits.  -  TOOts 
produced  in  a  town,  tho'  hunger  d^  ^ 

p.  147. 


180  The  Injlitutions  of  Mojcs  and 

p.  147.     Let  liim  flide  backwards  and  forwards  on 
the  ground,  or  let  him  (land  a  whole  day  on   tip- 
toe, or  let  him   continue    in  motion,  riling  and 
fitting  alternately ;  but  at  fun  rife,  at  nocn,  and  at 
fun  fet,  let  him  go  to  the  water  and  bathe,   p.  140. 
In  the  hot  feafon  let  him   Hand  expofed  to  five 
fires,  four  blazing  round  him,  with  the  fun  above. 
In  rain  let  him  Hand  uncovered,  where  the  clouds 
pour  the    heavieft   fhowers.      In    the  cold   feafon 
let  him  wear  humid  veflure,  and  let  him  increafe 
by  degrees  the  aufterity  of  his  devotion  ;  and  en- 
during hardier  and  har flier  mortifications,  let  him 
dry  up  his  bodily  frame.     Then,  having  repofited 
the  holy  fires  as  the  law  directs  in   his   mind  ;   let 
him  live  without  external  fire,  without  a  manfion, 
wholly  filent,  feeding  on  roots  and  fruit.     Or  let 
him  advance  in  a  ftraight  path  towards  the  invin- 
cible North  Eaft  point,  feeding  on  water  and  air, 
till  his  mortal  frame  totally  decay,  and  his  foul  be* 
came  united  with  the  Supreme,    p.  149.     A  bra- 
min  having  muffled  off  his  body  by  any  of  thofe 
modes,  which  great  fages  practiced,  and  becoming 
void  of  forrow  and  fear,  rifes  to  exaltation  in  the 
divine  effence.     After  he  has  read  the  Veda  in  the 
\  form  prefcribed  by  the  law,  has  legally  begotten  a 
,  and  has  performed  facrifice  to  the  beft  of  his 
r,  he   may  apply    his  heart  to   eternal   blifs. 
But  it  he  has  not  paid  thofe  three  debts,  and  yet 

aim 


Thofe  of  tfa  Hindoos,    Gfr.  compared.       181 

aim  at  final  beattitude,  he  fhall  fink  to  a  place  of 
degradation/'  p.  150. 

Compared  with  this,  the  whippings,  and  other 
auileritiis  of  P.  Damiani,  and  other  Caaolic  de- 
votees, was  in4ti}gence.  In  the  Ezourvedam  four 
ftates  of  bramins  are  dcfcribed  according  to  their 
degrees  of  perfection.  "  The  lowtfi  of  them  is  that 
in  v/hich  they  marry  and  live  in  the  world,  p.  290. 
The  next  is  that  in  which  they  many,  but  ceafe  to 
come  near  their  ivives,  or  take  any  care  of  their 
children.  The  third  is  that  in  which  they  go  into 
the  woods,  to  live  far  from  the  world,  and  its  fnares. 
He  who  has  the  courage  to  embrace  it  muft  for 
ever  abandon  father,  mother,  wife,  and  children. 
He  will  thus  renounce  all  the  good  things  of  this 
world,  and  cut  up  by  the  roots  anger  and  covet- 
oufnefs.  He  muft  live  on  alms  but  without  beg- 
ging, p.  292.  The  laft  and  moft  perfect  confifts  of 
thofe  whofe  only  occupation  is  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  truth.  They  have  no  paflions,  and 
an  abfolute  command  over  their  fenfes,"  295.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Bagavadam,  the  moft  perfeft  of  thefe 
become  dumb,  filly,  or  mad. 

Among  th«  different  fnjls  in  honour  of  different 
deities,  there  is  one  that  is  thought  to  have  fingu- 
lar  efficacy  to  efface  all  fins.  It  is  called  Sandra- 
jonon,  and  confifts  in  an  abftinence  of  twelve  days 
together,  in  honour  of  the  moon.  Then  follows 

an 


2  8s  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

an  account  of  the  practices  of  each  of  thofc  days. 
(Ezourvedam,  vol.  2,  p.  33.)  "  On  the  eleventh, 
he  eats  nothing,  but  drinks  the  urine  of  a  cow."  In 
the  fame  work  we  are  told  that  "  the  laft  ftate  of  con- 
templation, called  Achattangayogan,  terminates  in 
living  on  nothing  but  air/'  vol.  2,  p.  229,  and 
this  could  not  laft  long. 

It  were  endlefs  to  recite  all  the  particulars  of  the 
ftrange  aufterities  to  which  thofe  who  are  called  Fa- 
quirs fubje6l  themfelves.  Accounts  of  them  may 
be  fcen  in  all  the  books  of  travels  into  Hindoftan. 
Some  of  them  always  fit  crofs  legged,  or  hold  up 
their  arms  over  their  heads.  Some  twift  their  arms 
one  within  the  other.  Some  let  their  nails  grow  to 
a  great  length,  and  keeping  their  hands  fhut,  let 
them  pierce  thro'  the  back  of  them.  (Sketches  rela- 
ting to  the  hijlory,  &c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  i,  p. 
241.)  Others  (land  on  their  heads,  or  on  one  leg, 
others  continue  on  the  tops  of  trees,  or  under  cer- 
tain trees,  or  in  temples ;  and  they  who  continue  in 
the  fame  pofture  the  longeft,  are  efteemed  the  moft 
devout.  (Phillips  account  of  Malabar,  p.  22.) 
Bernier,  after  giving  a  particular  account  of  fome  of 
their  ftrange  and  painful  poflures,  fays  that  many  of 
them  are  fo  difficult,  that  we  have  no  pofture-maf- 
ters  able  to  imitate  them,  vol.  2,  p.  134. 

At  the  feftival  called  Maritale  fome  perfons,  tho' 
of  the  loweil  clafles,  make  a  vow  to  be  whirled  in 

the 


Thoje  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       183 

the  air  in  a  machine  conftru&ed  for  the  purpofc,  in 
which  they  are  fufpended  on  iron  hooks  thru  ft  thro' 
the  fkm  of  their  backs.  Being  then  elevated  confider- 
ably  above  the  ground,  they  generally  brandifli  a 
fword  and  buckler,  and  behave  as  if  they  felt  no  pain, 
having  commonly  drank  fome  intoxicating  liquor 
beforehand.  (Sonnerat,  vol.  i,  p.  244.)  Mr.  Dow 
fays,  p.  39,  that  this  cuftom  is  kept  up  in  comme- 
moration of  a  martyr,  who  was  in  this  manner  tor- 
tured for  his  faith. 

It  was  the  cuftom  of  fome  of  the  ancient  idola- 
ters to  make  indelible  marks  on  their  hands,  or  o- 
tlier  parts  of  their  bodies  as  fome  fymbol  of  the  dei- 
ty to  whofe  worfhip  they  particularly  devoted  them- 
fclves.  The  fame  is  done  in  fome  parts  of  the 
Eaft,  tho'  not  that  I  have  found  in  Hrndoftan.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Univerfal  Hiftorians,  the  people  of 
Arrakan  wear  the  mark  of  their  houfehold  gods 
branded  on  their  arms,  {ides  and  fhoulders,  vol.  7, 
p.  23. 

The  idea  of  firt  being  one  of  the  great  purifiers 
of  the  foul,  probably  contributed  to  recommend 
the  following  inftance  of  voluntary  pain  defcribed 
by  Mr.  Sonnerat,  vol.  i,  p.  257.  "  The  only  pub- 
lic feftival  in  honor  of  Darmaraja,  and  Drobedc 
his  wife  is  that  of  Nerpou-Tirounal  or  the  feaft  of 
fire,  becaufe  they  walk  upon  that  element.  It  con- 
tinues eighteen  days,  during  which  they  who  make  a 

vow 


184  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

vow  to  obferve  it  muft  faft,  abftain  from  women,  lie 
on  the  ground  without  any  mat,  and  walk  over  burn- 
ing coals.  On  the  eighteenth  day  they  repair  to  the 
place,  to  (he  found  of  mufica'  nen  >,  their 

heads  crowned  with  flowers,  their  bocl-es  daubed 
over  with  faffron,  and  follow  in  cadence  the  images 
of  Darma-Raja  and  Drobede,  which  are  carried  in 
proceffion.  When  they  approach  the  hot  coals  they 
flir  them,  to  make  them  burn  more  fiercely.  They 
then  rub  their  foreheads  with  fome  of  the  cinders, 
and  when  the  deities  have  made  the  circuit  of  the 
fire  three  times,  they  walk  fafter  or  flower  accord- 
ing to  the  ardour  of  their  devotion  on  the  burning 
coals,  which  cover  a  fpace  of  about  forty  feet  in 
length.  Some  carry  their  children  in  their  arms, 
others  lances,  fabres  and  ftandards.  The  moll  de- 
vout walk  over  the  fire  feveral  times/' 

According  to  Strabo  and  Pliny,  the  priefls  of 
Favonia,  even  in  the  time  of  Auguftus,  ufcd  to 
walk  barefoot  on  burning  coals,  and  Virgil  menti- 
ons this  cuftom,  in  theaddrefs  of  Aruns  to  Apollo, 


•  -  -Medium,  freti  pictate,  per  igncm. 
Cultores  mult  a  premimus  veftigia  pruna. 

lib.  ii. 


See  alfo  Silius  Italicuslib.  5.  But  Strabo  fays 
this  was  done  in  the  rites  of  the  goddefs  Feronia. 
He  fays  that  perfons  every  year  walked  with  their 

feet 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

feet  naked,  and  without  receiving  any  hurt,  where 
great  crowds  were  aflembled  to  fee  them,  lib.  5. 

In  all  countries,  and  in  all  ages,  many  of  the 
rites  of  the  heathen  religions  have  been  of  a  pain- 
ful nature.  Several  of  the  facred  rites  of  the  Egyp- 
tians confided  of  mourning.  While  the  facrifice 
on  the  fe Rival  of  Ifis  was  burning,  the  people 
kept  beating  themfelves,  (Herodotus,  lib.  2.  lee. 
40  )  No  perfon  could  be  initiated  into  the  fa- 
crr;d  rites  of  Mithra  among  the  Perfians  till  he 
had  gone  thro*  eighty  degrees  of  torture  of  differ- 
ent kinds.  He  was  firfi  made  to  fwim  over  a  great 
fpace  of  water,  and  then  to  throw  himfelf  into  the 
fire.  He  then  patted  a  long  time  in  folitude,  ab- 
ftained  from  food,  &c.  &c.  &c.  If  he  furvived 
thefe,  he  was  initiated  into  the  myfteries.  ( Jablon~ 
Jki,  Prolegomena,  p.  143-) 

We  are  mod  of  all  (hocked  at  perfons  devoting 
themfelves  to  certain  and  even  very  painful  death* 
from  this  miferable  fuperftition,  and  this  is  far 
from  being  uncommon  with  the  Hindoos.  There 
are  among  them  many  inftances  of  devotees  and 
penitents,  as  they  are  called,  throwing  themfelves 
under  the  chariot  wheels  of  Chiva,  or  of  Vichnou, 
when  the  idols  are  drawn  out  to  celebrate  their 
feftivals,  ajd  being  thereby  crufhed  to  death,  (Ber- 
nier,  vol.  2,  p.  104.  Sketches  relating  to  the  hi/to- 
r^L  &c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  i,  p.  242.)  The 

Y 


i86  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

Univerfal  Hiflorians  give  the  fame  account.  To 
the  wheels  of  the  waggon  they  fay,  (vol.  6,  p.  537,) 
on  which  the  images  are  carried  in  proceflion  on 
feflival  days,  great  iron,  hooks  are  faflened ;  and  on 
thofe  fome  of  the  men  throw  themfelves,  fo  that 
being  turned  round  with-  the  wheels,  they  are  cut 
to  pieces.  Others  lie  fprawling  on  the  ground  for 
the  wheels  to  pafs  over  them,  and  crufh  them  to 
death.  The  fame  is  done  in  -  Arrakan,  vol.  7,  27. 
Mr.  Sonnerat  fays  that  fome  fathers  and  mothers 
throw  their  children  under  the  wheels  of  the  cha- 
riot, thinking  that  the  deity  will  raife  them  to  eter* 
E.al.  happiriefs  in  another,  world,  vol.  i,  p.  277. 
At  the  feflival  of  Tirounal,  he  fays,,  fix,  or  feven 
thoufand  perfons  join  to  draw  this  chariot,  ib. 
p.  226. 

But  the  mofl  affecting  inflances  of  voluntary 
death,  if  they  can  be  laid  to  be  always  voluntary, 
are  thofe  of  the  Hindoo  women  burning  themfelves 
alive  with,  the  bodies  of  their  deceafed  hufbands, 
which,  tho'  not  absolutely  required,  is  llrongly  re- 
commended in  the  Hindoo  inftitutions.  We  have 
feen  the  degraded  flate  of  women  in  this  country, 
how  much  it  is  below  that  of  men.  In  this  way, 
however,  and  it  feems  to  be  the  only  one,  they 
have  an  opportunity  of  attaining  the  fame  Hate 
of  happincfs  with  them  after  death.  And  this 
is  efleemed  fo  honourable,  for  the  family  in 

which 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

which  it  takes  place,  and  to  the  religion  itfelf,  that 
nothing  is  omitted,  efpecially  on  the  part  of  the 
bramins,  to  encourage,  and  almoft  compel,  widows 
to  do  it ;  and  if  they  once  give  their  confent,  it  is 
hardly  in  their  power  to  recede.  And  according 
to  the  teftimony  of  travellers,  many  of  thefe  wi- 
dows go  to  the  fire  as  much  againft  their  wills  as  if 
it  was  a  real  human  facrifice. 

Mr.  Holwell  fays  that  the  women  are  not  allow- 
ed to  declare  their  refolution  to  burn  themfelvcr 
till  the  expiration  of  twenty  four  hours  after  the 
death  of  their  hufbands,  vol,  a.  p.  88,  and  that 
this  cuftom  was  introduced  by  the  authors  of  the 
Chatah  and  Auchtorrah  Bhade's,  who  drained  fome 
expreffions  in  the  original  Shatter  for  the  purpofe, 
p.  91.  Mr.  Dow  fays,  p.  35,  that  this  pradice 
was  never  reckoned  a  religious  duty,  as  has  b'  en 
erroneoufly  fuppofed  in  the  Weft.  But  by  this  he 
can  only  mean  that  it  is  not  of  univerfal  obligati- 
on. 

The  ilricT;  Hindoos  certainly  confider  this  a&ion 
as  one  of  the  rnoft  important  in  all  their  re- 
ligion, the  caufe  of  which  it  is  faid  it  would  be 
hardly  right  to  inveftigate.  (Preface  to  the  Centco 
laws,  p.  67.)  "  It  is  proper,"  fay  thefe  laws,  "for 
a  woman  after  her  hu (band's  death  to  burn  herfelfin 
the  fire  with  his  corpfe.  Every  woman  who  thus 
burns  herfelf  (hall  remain  in  paradife  with  her  huf- 

band 


1 88  The  Injlitutions  cf  Mofes  and 

band  three  crore,  andjifty  lacks  of  years  by  defti- 
ny.  If  (he  cannot  burn  (he  muft  preferve  an  invio- 
late chaftity.  She  then  goes  to  paradife;  other- 
wife  to  hell,"  p-  253.  Another  powerful  induce- 
ment to  this  practice  is  that  the  children  of  thofe 
who  burn  themfelves  become  illunrious,  and  are 
fometimes  received  into  cafts  fuperior  to  their  own. 
•(Holwell,  vol.  2,  p.  89.) 

Some  of  the  cafes  of  this  kind  mentioned  by  tra- 
vellers are  very  affecling.  The  heroifm  and  tran^ 
quility  with  which  fome  women  do  this,  holding 
their  hufbands  heads  in  their  laps,  and  lighting  the 
fire  themfelves,  is  aftonifhing ;  while  others  are  ti- 
ed fail,  or  pufhed  into  the  fire,  their  fhrieks  being 
drowned  by  the  bramins.  Bernier  faw  a  woman 
burning  with  her  hufband  without  difcovering  any 
fymptom  of  terror,  while  five  of  her  maids,  after 
dancing  round  the  fire,  threw  themfelves  into  it 
one  after  another  with  the  greateft  feeming  indiffer- 
ence, vol.  2,  p.  122.  He  fays  that  when  they  dif- 
cover  any  reluclance,  the  bramins  fometimes  force 
them  into  the  fire.  In  fome  cafes,  he  fays,  that, 
in ftrad  of  burning  them,  they  bury  them  up  to 
the  neck,  and  then  flrangle  them  by  turning  their 
heads  round,  p.  133. 

On  the  deaths  of  great  perfons,  thofe  viclims  of 
fuperflition,  voluntary  or  involuntary,  are  fome- 
times very  numerous.  At  the  death  of  a  king  of 

Tanjore, 


Thoje  of  the  Hindoos,   G?c.  compared.       189 

Tanjore,  no  lefs  than  three  hundred  of  his  concu- 
bines leaped  into  the  flames,  and  four  hundred 
burned  themfelves  at  the  funeral  of  a  naique  of 
Madura.  (Maurices  Indian  Antiquities,  vol.  2, 

p.  165.) 

Dying  by  fire  is  deemed  very  meritorious  in  men, 
but  is  feldom  pratlifed.  There  is,  however,  one 
celebrated  inflance  of  this  on  record,  viz.  that  of 
Ca'anus.  an  Indian  philofopher,  as  he  is  called, 
who  burned  himfclf  in  the  prefence  of  Alexander 
the  great  and  his  officers.  Sometimes  the  Hindoos 
burn  perfons  when  they  think  them  to  be  pad  reco- 
very. An  Englifh  furgeon  once  met  a  number  of 
perfons  carrying  a  man,  whom  they  thought  to  be 
dying,  to  a  pyle  ;  when,  feeling  his  pulfe,  he  faid 
he  was  not  pafl  recovery,  and  taking  him  back  he 
reflored  him  to  perfeft  health.  (Modern  Univerfal 
Hijlory^  vol.  6,  p.  280.) 

The  idea  of  purifying  the  departing  foul  by  means 
of  water  is  the  reafon  that  great  numbers  of  Hin- 
doos chufe,  or  ate  made,  to  die  in  rivers.  Very  of- 
ten, fays  Bernier,  p.  130,  when  they  are  juft  a- 
boutto  expire,  the  bramins  plunge  them  into  the  ri- 
ver, that  the  foul  of  the  deceafed  may  be  warned 
from  its  impurities  in  the  aft  of  leaving  the  body. 
This,  he  faid,  he  heard  not  only  from  the  vulgar, 
but  from  the  moft  learned  of  their  bramins.  And 
when  once  a  man  has  defired  to  be  conducted  to  the 

river, 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

lie  cannot  retra&  his  word,  and  therefore  he  is  car- 
ried to  it ;  when  they  firft  put  his  feet  in,  then  make 
him  drink  a  good  deal  of  the  water,  exhorting  him 
to  do  it  with  devotion,  and  confidence,  as  a  certain 
means  of  warning  his  foul,  and  of  blotting  out  all 
his  fins ;  and  atlail  they  pufh  him  into  it,  tho*  ever 
fo  unwilling.  Many,  it  is  faid,  are  drowned  in  this 
manner,  whom  an  indifcreet  devotion,  or  fome  dif- 
content  in  their  family,  had  brought  thither,  and 
repented  when  it  was  too  late.  (Agreement  of  the 
£ufloms  of  the  Eajl- Indians  -with  ihofe  of  the  Jews, 
&c.  p.  52.) 

This  mildeft  of  all  religions  (for  fuch  is  the  cha- 
racter that  is  generally  given  to  it)  a  religion  which 
will  not  hurt  a  fly,  *  was  in  its  origin  as  cruel  and 

fanguinary 

*  At  Cambayc  P.  Delia  Valle  faw  "  a  hofpital  for  birds 
of  all  kinds,  which  for  being  Tick,  or  lame,  deprived  of 
their  mates,  or  otherwife  needing  food  or  cure,  are  kept 
and  tended  with  the  greateft  diligence ;  and  the  perfons 
who  take  care  of  them  are  maintained  by  the  public  alms. 
When  they  are  recovered,  if  they  be  wild,  they  are  let 
go ;  if  domeftic,  they  are  given  to  fome  pious  perfon 
•who  keeps  them  in  his  houfe.  The  molt  curious  thing," 
he  fays  "  that  I  faw  in  this  place,  were  fome  little  mice, 
which  being  found  orphans,  without  f:re  or  dam  to  at- 
tend them,  were  put  into  this  hofpital,  and  a  venerable 
old  man  with  a  white  beard,  keeping  them  in  a  box  with 
cotton,  very  diligently  attended  them,  with  fpe&acles  on 


Thofe  of  tht  Hindoos,    &c.  compared. 

faraguinary  as  aay  other.  Like  all  other  ancient 
fyftems  of  heathenifm,.  it  enjoined  human  facrifices, 
tho'  in  procefs  of  time  they  were  laid  afider  as  they 
were  in  a  great  rneafure  by  the  Egyptians,  the 
Greeks,  and  the  Romans.  The  Veda's  enjoined 
human  facrifices,  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hi/lory, 
&c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  i,  p.  225.)  The  Infti- 
tutes  of  Menu  fay  that  the  facrifice  of  a  man  was 
required  in  former  ages,  but  not  then,  p.  364. 
They  fay  alfo  that  the  obligation  to  expiation  ex- 
tending to  death  is  abrogated,  p.  365.  Sir  Wil- 
liam Jones  fays  that  the  ancient  folemn  facrifice  of- 
the  Hindoos  was  that  of  a  man,  a  bull,  and  a 
horfe,  (Differtations  relating  to  AJia>  vol.  i,  p. 

5<-) 

In  a  colle&ion  of  Voyages  by  Dslaportc,  which, 
tho'  no  authorities  are  quoted  in  it,  is  fuppofed 


to 


his  nofc,  giving  them  milk  to  eat  with  a  bird's  feather, 
becaufc  they  were  fo  little  that  as  yet  they  could  eat  no* 
thing,  elfe;  and  he  told  us  he  intended,  when  they  were 
grownup,  to  let  them  go  free  where  they  pleafed.  The- 
next  morning,  going  into  the  city,  v/e  faw  another  hof- 
pital  for  goats,  kids,  fiicep  and  weathers,  either  fick  or 
lame.  We  faw  another  hofpiul  for  cows  and  calves, 
fome  of  which  had  broken  legs,  others  more  infirm,  very 
old  or  lean,  and  therefore  were  kept  here  to  be  cured,'* 


The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

to  be  compiled  from  fuch  as  may  be  depended  up- 
on, the  traveller  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  444.  u  la  Mala- 
bar a  perfon  told  us  that  one  of  his  anceilors  had 
been  facrificed  to  their  idols.  It  was  the  ancient 
cuflom  of  the  country  to  condemn  certain  perfons 
to  facrifice  themfelves,  which  they  did  by  giving 
themfelves  twelve  wounds  with  fo  many  diiferent 
knives.  The  lafl  flab  was  to  the  heart,  after  which 
he  was  burned  by  his  family/* 

Various  animals,  among  which  were  men.  as 
well  as  bulls,  were  anciently  facrificed  by  the 
Chinefe,  (Diff'ertation^  r dating  to  Afia,  vol.  i, 
p.  229.)  Indeed,  this  horrid  cuftom  feems  to 
have  been  univerfally  pracVced  by  all  ancient  na- 
tions, except  that  of  the  Hebrews  only;  fo  that 
Mr.  Holwell's  denial  of  it  with  refpecl  to  the  Hin- 
doos, befides  being  contradicted  by  pofidve  autho- 
rities, is  of  no  weight  at  all. 

The  temples  of  Ilythia,  or  Lucina,  in  Egypt 
were  flained  with  human  blood.  There  they 
burned  men  alive.  Three  were  facrificed  in  this 
cruel  manner  every  day,  and  therefore  when  Amo- 
fis  forbad  thofe  facrifices,  he  directed  three  images 
of  wax  to  be  burned  in  their  flead.  The  authors  of 
thefe  horrid  rites  Jablonfki  fuppofes  to  have  been 
the  fhepherds  who  invaded,  and  for  fome  time 
kept  poireffion  of,  Egypt,  vol.  2,  p.  69.  75. 

Plutarch 


Tfofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compzrtX.       1-3 

Plutarch  fays  that  Ameftris,  the  wife  of  Xo 
bun'ed  twelve  men  alive,  as  a  lacnace  which  me 
made  for  his  health,  and  Photius  fays  that  the 
Perfians  offered  men  women  and  children  to  M 
ra.  Celfus,  as  quoted  hy  Origen,  fays  that  the/ 
offered  feven  embryo's  to  this  deity,  on  account  of 
the  feven  planets,  (Lord,  p.  223.)  The  Romans, 
Plutarch  fays,  buried  two  men  and  two  women 
alive  in  the  market  place,  two  Greeks  and  two 
Gauls,  and  yet  cenfured  the  Barbarians  called 
Bletemanfes  for  facrificing  a  man  to  their  god,  (Ro- 
man Queftions.) 

If  the  bramins  in  the  Eaft,  bore,  as  has  been 
fuppofed,  any  relation  to  the  Druids  in  the  Weil, 
this  horrid  rite  mufl  have  prevailed  irt  Hindoflan  as 
it  did  among  the  Gauls  and  Britons,  whofe  religion 
was  fo  abhorrent  to  humanity  on  this  account  that 
the  Romans  forbad  the  exercife  of  it. 

The  religious  cuiloms  of  the  Northern  nations  of 
Europe  were,  in  feveral  refpe&s,  fitnrar  to  thofe 
oftheEail;  and  with  them  human  facrifices  were 
univerfal,  and  continued  a  long  time.  It  was  a 
maxim  with  the  Gauls,  that  where  the  life  of  a  man 
was  concerned,  the  gods  would  not  be  appeafcd 
but  with  the  lives  of  men  ;  and  therefore  u*hun 
they  were  feized  with  a  dangerous  iilneft,  or  in 
any  great  danger,  they  facrificed  men  for  victims, 
gr  made  vows  that  they  would  facrifice  them.  In 

Z  Britain 


Liftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

Britain  pri TOUTS  of  war,  robbers,  and  perfons 
guilty  of  oilier  ht  jtioi>s  crimes,  were  either  {lain  on 
altars,  or  bun  ed  alive  in  machines  of  wicker  work 
coriftructoi  iti  ihc  Ihape  of  men,  as  facrifices  to 
th  -ir  deities,  (Cfffaris  Ccm.  lib.  vi.  T.  c.  i  j.) 

In  Scandinavia  they  held  a  feflival  every  ninth 
month,  which  laded  nine  days,  and  every  day  they 
offered  nine  living  victims,  men  or  animals.  But 
every  ninth  year  the  mod  Tolemn  facrifices  were  of- 
fered at  Upfal,  when  the  king,  the  fenate,  and  all 
the  citizens  of  any  diftinfrion  attended  in  perfon ; 
and  they  chofe  among  the  captives  in  time  of  war, 
and  flaves  in  times  of  peace,  nine  perfons  to  be 
facrificed.  But  in  times  of  great  calamity  they  fa- 
crificed  perfons  of  more  confluence.  The  firft 
king  of  Vermland  was  burned  in  honor  of  Odin, 
to  put  an  end  to  a  great  dearth.  Hacon  king  of 
Norway  offered  his  fon  in  facrifice  to  obtain  the  vic- 
tory over  his  enemy  Harold.  Aune  king  of  Swe- 
den devoted  to  Odin  the  blood  of  his  nine  fons, 
to  prevail  on  that  god  to  prolong  his  life.  The  an- 
cient hiftory  of  the  North  abounds  with  fimilar  ex- 
amples. (Northern  Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  134.) 

In  the  capital  of  Denmark  they  offered  every 
ninth  year  ninety-nine  men,  as  many  horfes,  dogs, 
and  cocks.  In  Iceland  there  were  two  temples,  in 
which  they  offered  human  viclims,  and  a  pit,  or 
well,  into  which  they  were  thrown  headlong,  ib. 

P.  138- 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,    &?c.  compared. 

p.  138.  Thepriefts  of  thefe  inhuman  deities  were 
called  Drotter,  probably  the  fame  with  Druids,  ib. 
p.  140. 

The  reflections  of  Plutarch  on  this  fubject  in  his 
tract  on  Superjlition  are  fo  much  to  the  purpofe,  that  I 
fhall  clofe  this  feclion  with  them.  "  Men,"  he  fays, 
"  were  not  at  firil  made  Alheifts  by  any  fault  they 
found  in  the  heavens  or  ftars,  or  feafons  of  the  year, 
or  in  thofe  revolutions  or  motions  of  the  fun  about 
the  earth  that  make  the  day  and  night,  nor  yet  by  ob- 
ferving  any  miftake  or  diforder,  either  in  the  breed- 
ing of  animals,  or  the  production  of  fruits.  No, 
it  was  the  uncouth  actions,  and  fenfelefs  paffions  of 
fuperftition,  her  canting  words,  her  foolifh  geftures, 
her  charms,  her  magic,  her  freakifh  proceflions,  her 
tabourings,  her  foul  expiations,  her  vile  methods  of 
purgation,  and  her  barbarous  and  inhuman  penanc- 
es and  bemirings,  at  the  temples.  It  was  thefe,  I 
fay,  that  gave  occafion  to  many  to  affirm  it  would 
be  far  happier  if  there  were  no  gods  at  all  than  fuch 
as  are  pleafed  with  fuch  fantaftical  toys,  who  thus 
abufe  their  votaries,  and  are  incenfed  and  pacified 
with  trifles." 

"  Had  it  not  been  much  better  for  the  fo  trmrh 
famed  Gauls,  and  Scythians,  that  they  had  neither 
thought,  nor  imagined,  nor  heard  any  thing  of  their 
gods,  than  to  have  believed  them  fuch  as  wouL 
pleafed  with  the  blood  of  Luir.an  facrifices ;  and 

that 


1 9  6  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

that  accounted  fuch  for  the  mofl  complete  and  me- 
fitorius  of  expiations.  How  much  better  had  it  been 
for  the  Carthaginians  if  they  had  had  either  a  Critias 
Or  a  Diagoras  for  their  firfl  Lawgiver,  that  fo  they 
might  have  believed  neither  god  nor  fpirits,  than  to 
make  fuch  offerings  to  Saturn  as  they  made.  But 
they  knowingly  and  willingly  themfelves  devoted 
their  own  children  ;  and  they  who  had  none  of  their 
own  bought  of  fome  poor  people,  and  then  facrific- 
ed  them  like  lambs  or  pigeons ;  the  poor  mother 
Handing  by  the  while  without  cither  a  figh  or  a 
tear  ;  or  if  by  chance  fhe  fetched  a  figh,  or  let  fall  a 
tear,  fhe  loft  the  price  of  her  child,  and  it  was  ne- 
vcrthelefs  facrificed.  All  the  places  round  the  i- 
mage  were  in  the  mean  time  filled  with  the  noife  of 
hautboys  and  tabors,  to  drown  the  poor  infants 
cr}  in  r." 

So  far  was  this  mofl  horrid  rite  of  human  facri- 
fee  from  finding  a  place  among  the  inflitutions  of 
Mofcs,  tbatirf  his  writings,  and  in  all  the  books  of 
the  Old  Ttfiament,  it  is  fpoken  of  with  the  great- 
tit  abhorrence  and  deteftation  ;  and  the  practice  is 
particularly  mentioned  as  the  yeateft  of  thofe  abo- 
minations for  which  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Ca- 
nann  were  expelled  to  make  way  for  the  Ifraelites 
Dtut.  xii.  29.  When  the  Lord  thy  Godftiall  cut  of 
the  nations  from  before  thee,  -whither  thou  goeft  topof- 
fefi  them,  and,  thou  fucccedejl  them,  and  dwellejl  in 

their 


Thoje  of  the  Hindoos,    C£c.  compared.       rgj 

their  land,  take  heed  to  thyfdf  that  thou  be  notfnar- 
cd  by  following  them,  after  that  they  be  clejlrcyed, 
from  before  thee,  and  that  thcu  inquire  n't  after  their 
gods ;  faying,  HJW  didthefe  nations  fervs  their  gods, 
even  fo  will  I  do  likewife.  Thou  Jhalt  net  do  fo  to 
the  Lord  thy  God.  For  every  ab  mination  to  the 
Lord,  which  he  hateth,  have  thy  dune  unto  th'ir 
gods.  For  even  their  J  ns  and  their  daughters  have 
they  burned  in  the  Jire  t*  their  gods.  The  fhcdding 
of  innocent  blood,  with  which  the  Ifraelites  arc  fo 
often  charged,"  ani  which  is  mentioned  by  the  pro- 
phets as  one  of  the  caufes  of  their  expulfion  from 
their  country,  was,  I  doubt  not,  the  blood  of  in- 
nocent children  facrificed  in  this  manner.  Not- 
witiiftanding  this,  the  Ifraelites  are  by  modern  un- 
believers treated  as  Barbarians,  and  faid  to  have 
borrowed  their  inftitutions  from  thofe  of  their  more 
civilized  neighbours;  and  it  is  affirmed  that  the 
five  books  of  Mofes  are  only  copies  of  thofe  of  the 
Hindoos.  What  mufl  be  the  force  of  prejudice  in 
me  a  who  can  entertain,  and  propagate  this  opinion! 


SECTION 


19$  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofcs  and 


SECTION     XVI. 

Of  the  Hindoo  Penances. 

TH  E  rules  concerning  penance,  or  atonement 
for  fpecific  offences,  makes  one  of  the  mod 
ferious  articles  in  the  fyftem  of  the  Hindoo  reli- 
gion ;  and  fo  numerous  and  intricate  are  they,  that 
it  mufl  have  been  very  difficult  to  underfland,  and 
ilill  more  to  remember  them. 

In  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu  there  is  the  following 
enumeration  of  the  principal  agents  in  the  great 
bulinefs  of  the  purification  of  the  foul  when  it  has 
contracted  any  pollution.  "  Sacred  learning,  au- 
flere  devotion,  fire,  holy  aliment,  the  earth,  the 
wind,  water,  and  fmearing  with  cow  dung,  arepre- 
fcribed  afts  of  religion.  The  fun  and  time,  are 
the  purifiers  of  embodied  fpirits,"  p.  136.  It  is  not 
cafy,  however,  to  conceive  how  things  fo  very  dif- 
ferent in  their  natures  as  thefe  are  fhould  produce 
the  fame  efTed. 

The  fame  rites  of  purification  were  alfo  had  re- 
courfe  to  by  way  of  prevention,  as  well  as  for  the 
cure  of  moral  evil ;  and  even  the  inferior  deities 
were  thought  to  have  practiced  fome  of  them,  as  we 
learn  from  the  following  paffage  in  the  fame  work. 

"He 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      1 09 

"  He  who  for  a  whole  month  eats  no  more  than 
thrice  eighty  mouthfuls  of  wild  grains,  as  he  hap* 
pens  by  any  means  to  meet  with  them,  keeping 
his  organs  in  fubje&ion,  fhall  attain  the  fame 
abode  with  the  regents  of  the  moon.  The  eleven 
Rudras  the  twelve  Adityas,  the  eight  Vafus,  the 
Maruts,  or  genii  of  the  winds,  and  the  feven  great 
Richis  have  performed  this  lunar  penance,  as  a  fe- 
curity  from  all  evil,  p.  338. 

According  to  the  laws  of  Mofes,  a  perfon  who 
had  touched  a  dead  body  was  deemed  unclean.  But 
the  idea  of  this  kind  of  impurity  is  carried  much 
farther  by  the  Hindoos.  With  them  the  perfon  who 
only  hears  that  a  relation  is  dead,  in  adiflant  coun- 
try, is  deemed  unclean.  "  If  ten  days  after  he  died 
have  not  paffed,  he  is  unclean  for  the  remainder  of 
thofe  days  only.  If  ten  days  have  elapfed  he  is 
unclean  for  three  nights.  If  a  year  has  expired,  he 
is  purified  by  touching  water/'  (Injlitutes  of  Mem:, 

p.  132.) 

Women  are  fubjeft  to  various  impurities.  With 
refpeft  to  fome  of  them  we  read  that,  "  by  oblati- 
on to  fire  during  the  mothers  pregnancy,  by  holy 
rites  on  the  birth  of  a  child,  by  the  tonfure  of  the 
head,  with  a  lock  of  hair  left  on  it,  by  the  ligation 
of  the  facrifical  cord,  are  feminal  and  uterine  taints 
of  the  three  claffes  wholly  removed,"  ib  p.  20. 

Not  only  is  the  drinking  of  wine,  and  fpirituous 

liquors 


400  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

liquors  a  great  fin,    but  even  for  drinking  water  in 
a  vefiel  in  which  there  has  been  any  liquor  of  that 
kind,  the  following  purification  is  d^errud  necta- 
ry.    "  For  drinking  water  in  a  veffel  whvire  fp»rit 
of -rice,    or  any  fp,rituous  liquor,    has  been  kept, 
lie  may  fwallow  nothin  $  for  five  days  and  nights  but 
the  plant  Sanchapujhpi,  boiled  in  milk,"    ib  328. 
,     But  the  drinking  of  the  fpirit  itfelf  is  an  oiLnce 
not  fo  eafily   expiated.     "•  Any  twice  born   maa 
who  has  intentionally  drank  fpirit  of  rice,  thro'  per- 
verfe  deluiioa  of  mind,    may  drink  more  fpirit  in 
flame,  and  atone  for  his  offence  by  feverely  burning 
his  body  :  Or  he  may  drink  until  he  die  the  urine 
of  a  cow,  or  pure  water,   or  milk,  or  clarified  but- 
ter,  or  juice  exprefled  from  cow  dung."  p.  320. 

The  following  are  different  cafes  of  penance  for 
the  offences  of  bramins  or  priefls.  "  He  who  has 
taught  the  Veda's  on  a  forbidden  day  may  atone  for 
his  offence  by  fubfifling  a  whole  year  on  barley 
alone,  p.  334.  He  who  for  feven  fucceflive  days 
omits  the  ceremony  of  begging  food,  and  offers  not 
wood  to  the  facred  fire,  mufl  perform  the  penance  of 
avarcini,  unlefs  he  be  afflicted  with  illnefs.  Thir 
duty  of  a  mendicant  is  ordained  by  the  wife  for  the 
brarnins  alone,  p.  41.  The  prieft  who  neglefts 
keeping  the  facred  hearth,  by  voluntarily  negl  cl- 
ing the  morning  and  evening  oblations  to  the  fire, 
?mift  perform  the  penance  chandrayana  for  ene 

month ; 


'j:iiofi  of  the  Hindoos,    G?c.  compared. 

v^onth:  fince  iliat  negleft  is  equally  finful  with 
die  (laughter  of  a  Ton,  p.  312.  Let  the  Sanie/Jy"' 
(the  higheft  attainment  of  a  bramin)  "  by  way  01 
expiation  lor  the  death  of  thofe  creatures  which  ae 
2>iay  have  deftroyed  unknowingly,  by  day  or  by 
night,  make  fix  fuppreffions  of  his  breath,  having 
duly  bathed/3  p.  151.  The  reward  for  not  vio- 
lating  this  precept  is  peculiarly  great.  "  TO  a  bra- 
xnin  by  whom  not  even  the  {mallei!  drec^d  has, 
been  occaftoned  to  fentient  creatures,  there  can  be. 
no  dread  from  any  quarter  whatever,  when  he  ob- 
tains a  rcleafe  from  his  mortal  body,"  (Inftitufa  of- 
Menu,  p.  150.) 

The  effect  of  rightly  pronouncing  certain  words, 
efpecially  cm,  the  gayatri,  and  another  which  Sir 
William  fones  fuppofes  to  (ignify  the  earth,  |he 
fky,  and  heaven,  is  reprefented  as  peculiarly  gr^at 
in  the  tuunefs  of  expiation.  The  Jnflitutes  of 
'  Menu  fay  concerning  a  fludent,  *f  Let  not  the  furt 
ever  fet  or  rife  while  he  lies  aHeep.  If  the  fun 
fhould  rife  or  fct  while  he  deeps  thro*  fenfual  in- 
dulgence, he  muft  fail  a  whole  day,  repeating  the 
gayatri,  p.  45.  Should  a  brarnin  wfio  has  once 
tailecf^  holy  juice  of  the  moon  plant  even  fmell 
the  breath  of  a  man  who  drinks  fpirits.,  he  muft 
remove  the  taint  by  thrice  repeating  the  gayatri, 
while  he  fuppreffes  his  breath  in  water,  and  b)f 
.eating  clarified  butter  after  that  ceremony,  p.  5^8, 

A  a 


2O2  The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and' 

By  three  thoufand  repetitions  of  the  gayatri,  with 
intenfe  application  of  mind,  and  by  fublifting  on 
milk  only,  for  a  whole  month,  in  the  pafture  of 
cows,  a  bramin  who  has  received  any  gift  from  a 
bad  man  may  be  cleanfed  from  his  fin,  p.  334* 
The  oblation  of  clarified  butter  to  fire  muft  be 
made  every  day  by  the  penitent  himfelf,  accom- 
panied with  the  mighty  words  (earth,  Jky,  heaven  J 
p.  938.  Sixteen  fuppreflions  of  breath,  with  the 
three  mighty  words,  and  the  triliteral  fyllable, 
continued  each  day  for  a  month,  will  abfolve 
even  the  flayer  of  a  bramin  from  his  hidden  faults, 
p.  341.  A  prieft  who  fliould  retain  in  his  memory 
the  whole  Rigveda  would  be  abfolved  from  guilt 
even  if  he  had  flain  the  inhabitants  of  three 
worlds,  and  had  eaten  food  from  the  fouleft  hands/' 

P-  343- 

We  have  here  a  fingular  conjunction  of  offences, 

as  of  equal  degrees  of  guilt,  when  in  the  nature  of 
things  they  are  certainly  very  different;  and  from 
the  order  in  which  they  are  placed  it  ftiould  feem 
that  the  eating  of  food  from  foul  hands  was  a  great- 
er crime  than  murder.  However,  fchefe  Inflitutes 
cf  Menu  fay  that  "feme  of  the  learned  confider 
thefe  expiations  as  confined  to  involuntary  fin  ;  but 
that  others,  from  the  evidence  of  the  Veda's,  hold 
them  to  be  effe&ual  in  the  cafe  of  thofe  that  are 
voluntary/'  p.  313.  But  there  cannot  well  beany 

doubt 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      203 

doubt  that  the  latter  are  in  the  right,  if  this  pen- 
ance, and  many  others  which  I  fhall  copy  from  thefe 
Inftitutes,  be  agreeable  to  the  Veda's. 

The  effecl;  of  thefe  religious  a6b  is  not  confined 
to  the  living.  It  extends  even  to  the  dead.  For 
the  manes  are  fuppofed  to  partake  of  the  food  that 
is  offered  to  them,  *  We  are  even  informed  what 
will  fatisfy  them  for  any  fpecified  time  ;  and  the 
cafes  are  not  a  little  curious. 

"  What  fort  of  oblation  given  daily  to  the  manes 
are  capable  of  fatisfying  them  for  a  long  time,  or 
for  eternity,  I  will  now  declare  without  omiflion. 
The  anceftors  of  men  are  fatisfied  a  whole  month 
with  tila,  rice,  barley,  black  lentils,  or  vetches, 
water  roots,  and  fruits  given  with  prefcribed  cere- 
monies ;  two  months  with  rim,  three  months  with 
venifon,  four  with  mutton,  five  with  the  flefh  of 
fuch  birds  as  the  twice  born  may  eat,  fix  months 
with  the  flefh  of  kids,  feven  with  that  of  fpotted 
deer,  eight  with  that  of  the  deer  or  antelope  called 
ana,  nine  with  that  of  the  ruru,  ten  with  that  of 
wild  boars,  or  wild  buffaloes,  eleven  with  that  of 

rabbits, 

*  According  to  Hcmer,  the  ghofts  of  the  dead  drank 
of  blood,  and  then  fpake.  The  author  of  the  life  of  "Ho- 
mer in  Gale's  Opufcula  Mythologies  after  mentioning  this, 
adds.  "  For  he  knew  that  that  blood  was  the  food  of  the 
fpirit  (pneuma )  and  that  the  fpirit  is  either  the  foul  itf 
or  the  vehicle  of  the  foul,"  p.  341. 


The  injlitutioiis  of  Af ofes  and 

rabbits,  hares,  or  tortoifes ;  a  whole  year  with  the* 
milk  of  cows,  and  food  made  of  that  milk.      FrorrS 
the  fkfh  of  the  long  eared  white  goat  their  fatisfac- 
tion  endures  twelve  years.     The  pot  herb  calafaca, 
the  fifh  mahafakd,  or  the  dio'don,  the  flefh  of  a  rhi- 
noceros,  or  an  iron  coloured  kid,    honey,  and  all 
fiich  forefl  grains  as  are  eaten  by  hermits,    are  for- 
rnedfor  their  fatisfaction  without  end.     Whatevef 
jiure  food  mixed  with   honey  a  man  offers  on  the 
thirteenth  day  of  the  moon,  in  the  feafon  of  rain, 
and  under  the  lunar  aiierifm  magha,  has  likewife  a 
ceafelefs   duration.     Oh  may  that  man,    fay  the 
manes,  be  born  in  our  line,  who  may  give  us  milky 
food  with  honey  and  pure  butter,   both  on  the  thir- 
teenth of  the  moon,    and  when  the  ihadotv  of   an 
elephant  falls  to  the  Eaft.     Whatever  a  man  endu- 
ed with  ftrong  faith  pioufly  offers  as  the  law  has 
:dire£led  becomes  a  perpetual  unperifhable  gratifl- 
'catioh  to  his  aUceftors  m  the  other  world/'    (Injli- 
iutes  of  Menu,  p.  86.) 

In  thefe  wretched  fujifcrftkibns  we  may  perhaps 
fee  the  reafon  of  fomeof  the  laws  of  Mofes,  many 
of  ^vhich  were  evidently  intended  to  counteract  the 
icuftoms  of  the  heathens  in  early  times.  What  we 

in  his  Writings  concerning  ihefacrifices  of  the 
d,  aiid  phrafes  of  a  iimilar  import,  probably 
r  io  thefe  'oblations  to  the  manes  of  dead  an- 

rs,  whicli  we  fee  to  make  ib  great  a  part  of  the 


Thofe  tf  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

-f  the  Hindoos,  and  alfo  of  the  Chinefc, 

never   enters  into  that  of  the  Hebrews. 

too,  the  great  ftrefs  we  here  find  to  be  laid 

u-  of  -honey,  iri  thefe  oblations  was  the  reafon 

/holly  forbidden  in  the  Hebrew  ritual, 

talt  only  made  ufe  of. 

is  in  vain,  however,  for  the  moil  prejudiced 
u.. believer  to   look  for  any  thing  parallel  to   this 
do&rine  of   purification  and  expiation  in  the  infli- 
Unions  of  Moles,    or    that  looks  as  if  they  were 
borrowed,  d'reclly   or  inrlireclly,    from  them,    as 
Mr.  Langles  afltrts.      All  the   modes   of  purifica- 
tion p^efcribed  there  are  for  involuntary  offences, 
or  imparities  that  are  not  of  a  moral  nature.   With 
rcfpecl  to  real  crimes,  hear  what  David  fays,  Ps.  li. 
16.      Thou  definjt  net  facrifice,  elfe  wculd  I  give  it, 
ihcu  dclightejl  not  in  burnt  offering.     The.  facrificts 
of  God  are  a  broken  fpirii.    A  broken  and  a  contrite, 
'heart,  0  'God,  thou  wilt  net  defpifc.    Repentance  and 
reformation  is  the  only  atonement  for  fin  according  to 
'the  religion  of  the  Hebrews,    but  th?r   was  effectu- 
al.    Hear  what  the   prophet  Ezekiel  fays  on  this 
iubjecl;,  ~Ch.  xxxiii,   14.  When  I  fay  unto  the  wick- 
ed,   Thoti  Jhali  farely  die  ;  if  he  turn  from  hisf.n, 
and  do  that  which  is  lawful  and  right ;  if  th'c  wicked 
rejlort  the  pledge,  give   again   that  he  had  robbed, 
and  -walk  in  thejlatutcs,  of  life  without  committing  ini- 
quity, he  fhall  furely  live,  htjliall  not  die. 


206  .The  Institutions  of  Mofes  and 

As  to  aufterities  of  any  kind,  none  are  prefcribed 
in  the  books  of  Mofes.  The  only  thing  of  that 
nature  to  which  any  countenance  is  given  is  the 
vow  of  the  Nazarites,  which  was  to  drink  no  wine, 
and  not  to  cut  their  hair  for  a  limited  time,  fixed 
by  themfelves.  The  Hebrews  had  only  one  pre- 
fcribed day  of  falling  in  the  whole  year,  and  that 
.not  attended  with  any  particular  aufterity ;  where- 
as they  had  three  annual  feftivals,  each  of  feme 
continuance,  befides  thefabbath,  which,  tho' a  day 
of  reft  from  labour,  was  always  conlidercd  as  a 
feftival.  Their  lands  alfo  had  their  reft,  and  were 
to  lie  uncultivated  every  feventh  year;  but  they 
had  the  promife  of  a  double  harveft  the  year  pre- 
ceding, when  they  could  not  fail  to  obferve  whe- 
ther the  promife  was  fulfilled  or  not  ;  fo  that  they 
ran  no  rifk  from  omitting  to  plow  and  fow  their 
lands ;  and  when  their  law  was  moft  ftri&ly  ob- 
ferved,  as  it  was  after  their  return  from  the  Baby- 
loniih  captivity,  we  hear  no  complaint  of  any  in- 
convenience refulting  from  it.  If  there  was  any 
ufe,  as  there  evidently  was.  in  reminding  the  Ifrael- 
ites  that  it  was  God  who  gave  them  their  country, 
and  who  put  them  into  the  pofleffion  of  it  by  his 
own  power,  and  of  his  right  to  give  it  on  what 
terms  he  thought  proper,  it  would  not  be  eafy  to 
fix  upon  any  method  better  adapted  to  anfwer  the 
purpofe.  The  foundation  of  the  rite  of  facrificing, 

which 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       207 

which  appeared  fo  proper  as  to  have  been  adopted 
by  all  mankind,  was  the  very  fame.  It  exprefTed 
their  acknowledgment  that  they  received  all  from 
God,  by  giving  back  to  him  fome  part  of  it.  The 
fpontaneous  produce  of  the  ground  on  the  fabbati- 
cal  year  was  given  to  the  poor,  and  what  was  given 
them,  was  conlidered  as  given  to  God. 

The  rite  of  circumciiion,  which  was  prefcri- 
bed  to  Abraham,  being  performed  on  children 
when  they  were  only  eight  days  old,  who  could 
fuffer  nothing  from  apprehenfion  beforehand,  and 
but  little  pain  afterwards,  is  a  circumftance  of 
fmall  moment ;  and  if  there  was  to  be  any  indelible 
mark  upon  their  flelh,  to  remind  every  individual  of 
the  nation  of  their  extraction,  and  future  profpe&s, 
and  thereby  attach  them  to  their  laws,  nothing  per- 
haps could  have  been  thought  of  fo  well  adapted  to 
anfwer  the  end,  with  fo  little  real  inconvenience. 
Other  people  voluntarily  practice  the  fame  without 
any  complaint.  This  was  the  cafe  of  the  Egyp- 
tian priefts,  of  the  Arabs,  and  all  the  Mahome- 
tans, at  a  much  more  inconvenient  time  of  life. 


SECTION" 


ap.8  The  InftititiiQns  of  Mofes  and 


SECTION    XVII. 

Of  the  Suferftition  cf  the  Hindoos  and  others  for  the 
Cow,  and  alfo  for  the  elements  of  Fire  and  WCL- 
ttr. 

OF  fo  much  importance  are  many  things  rela- 
ting to  the  cow  in  the  Hindoo  purifications, 
that  I  fhall  appropriate  the  greateft  part  of  this  fee- 
tion  to  the  fubjccl: ;  fubjoining  fomc  particulars 
concerning  two  other  great  infiruments  of  mental 
purgation,  viz.  fire  and  water. 

It  is  not  eafy  to  give   a  fatisfa&ory  account  of 
the  exc_ Hive  veneration  the  Hindoos  have  for  the 
cow.      There  are    many    other  animals,    at  kail 
nearly,  as  ufeful,  the  flieep  for  inflance,  for  which 
the  Hindoos  profefs  no  particular  regard  ;    where- 
as  on  this  principle  it  ought  to  have  its  Ihare  ;  and 
the  origin  of  this  fuperflition  is  fo  remote,  that  we 
have  no  means  of  tracing  it.     That  the   Hindoos, 
and  other  very  ancient  nations,  equally  ignorant  of 
the  conftitution  ancl  laws  of  nature,  fhould  enter- 
lain  the  opinion  of  there  being  fomething  divine  in 
the  elements  of  fire  and  -wcicr,   both  poiTefTed  of 
great  powers   of  doing  good  or  harm,  is  as  eafily 
accounted  for  as  the  worfhip  of  the  fun,  moon  and 


Thoft  of  Ike  Hindoos,  &c,  compared.       209 

,  which  have  much,  and  were  fuppofed  to  have 
more,  influence  on  the  earth.  Fire  alfo,  being  u- 
fed  in  the  purification  of  metals,  and  water  in  that 
of  other  things,  they  naturally  enough  became 
emblems  of  purification  in  general ;  and  therefore, 
as  -partaking  of  divinity,  might  be  imagined  to  have 
a  fpiritual  as  well  as  a  corporeal  ufe.  But  thefe 
con-iiderations  throw  no  light  on  the  fuperflition  of 
the  Hindoos  with  refpecl;  to  the  cow. 

Mr.  Holwell  fays  the  cow  is  fo  much  refpecled, 
becaufe  this  is  the  laft  of  the  eighty-feven  ftages  of 
purgation  appointed  for  fallen  fpirits,  immediately 
preceding  their  tranfmigration  into  the  body  of  a 
.man,  p.  50.  But  then  the  form  immediately  pre- 
ceding that  of  the  cow,  mould  have  fonie  proporti- 
onal (hare  of  refpecl:  fhewn  to  it,  which  is  by  no 
means  the  cafe. 

This  refpecl;  for  the  cow  we  alfo  find  among  the 
ancient  Egyptians.  According  to  Plutarch  the  cow- 
was  confidered  by  them  as  the  image  of  Ifis.  (De 
IJide,  -&c.)  Apuleius,  defcribing  the  Ifiac  procef- 
iion,  fays  the  cow  was  the  fruitful  image  of  the 
goddefs,  the  mother  of  all  *  And  according  to 

^Elian, 

*  Cujus  veftigium  continuum  fequcbatur  bos,   in 

ere&um  levata  datum.  Erat  et  bos  omniparentis  dese 
fecundum  fimulacrum,  quod,  refidens  humeris  fuis,  pro- 
UnUs 'k  miniftcrio  Dea  o,  greffu  geftuofo. 

B  b  METAM.  Lis.  xi. 


2*0  The  Inflitiitions  of  Mojes  and 


as  quoted  by  Mr.  Bryant,  the  object  of 
adoration,  at  three  cities  of  Egypt,  was  a  heifer  or 
cow.  (Mythology,  vol.  2,  p.  415)  The  Syrians  al- 
ib  had  the  cow  in  great  reverence,  ib.  p.  422. 

The  modern  Parfi's,  following,  no  doubt,  the 
ancient  Perfians,  never  kill  or  eat  a  cow,  or  bull. 
With  themalfo,  as  with  the  Hindoos,  the  urine  of 
a  cow  is  confidered  as  a  great  purifier.  They  wafh 
in  it,  and  fometimes  drink  it.  (Tavcrnier,  vol.  i, 
p.  491,  &c.) 

The  probability  is,  that  the  philofophers  who 
framed  the  Egyptian  and  Hindoo  fyftems  imagined 
the  cow  to  be  a  fuitable  emblem  of  the  attributes 
of  fome  deity,  as  the  bull  was  of  others.  Leaving 
this  fpeculation,  I  mall  proceed  to  recite  fome  of 
the  more  curious  articles  of  thofe  Hindoo  penan- 
ces in  which  the  cow  is  concerned  ;  and  they  are 
only  a  few  that  might  be  collected  ;  and  let  my  read- 
er confider  that  ifit  be  difgufling,  as  it  certainly  is, 
to  read  them,  how  much  more  it  muft  be  to  prac- 
tice them.  Let  him  alfo  confider  whether  the  He- 
brews would  have  been  any  gainers  by  changing 
their  inflitutions  for  thofe  of  the  Hindoos.  If  I 
were  to  enjoin  the  following  penance,  it  fhould  be 
on  thofe  who,  like  Mr.  Langles,  prefer  the  latter  to 
the  former. 

"  For  ftealing  what  might  be  eaten,  or  what 
might  be  fippcd,  a  carriage,  a  bed,  or  a  feat,  roots, 

flowers, 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   £?c.  compared. 

flowers,  or  fruit,  an  atonement  may  be  made  by 
fwallowing  the  five  pure  things  produced  from  a 
cow,  milk,  curds,  butter,  urine,  dung.  (InJU- 
tutesof  Menu,  p.  330.)  Eating  for  a  whole  day  the 
dung  and  urine  of  cows,  mixed  with  curds,  milk, 
clarified  butter,  and  water  boiled  with  cufa  grafs, 
and  then  fafting  entirely  for  a  day  and  a  night,  is 
the  penance  called  Santapana"  ib.  336. 

The  following  is  a  flight  penance  for  a  fmall  and 
involuntary  fault.  "  He  who  has  made  any  excre- 
tion being  greatly  prefled,  either  without  water  near 
him,  or  in  water,  may  be  purified  by  touching  a 
cow,  ib.  p.  335. 

If  a  cow  dies,  Mr.  Holwell  fays,  vol.  2,  p.  24, 
it  is  reckoned  a  mark  of  God's  anger,  and  the  ow- 
ner is  thereby  warned  that  when  he  dies  he  will  be 
configned  to  the  lowed  region  of  punimment. 
Hence  there  is  not  only  great  lamentation  on  the 
death  of  a  cow  or  a  calf,  but  the  owner  will  fome- 
times,  on  fuch  an  event,  undertake  a  pilgrimage  of 
three  years,  forfaking  his  family,  friends  and  relations. 

It  is  a  rule  with  the  Hindoos  that  nothing  muft 
*  be  left  of  the  facrifice/rtf£?A<2  (which  is  to  the  manes 
of  their  anceftors)  and  when  *he  company  prcfent 
cannot  confume  all  that  is  offered,  the  Inftitutes  of 
Menu  fay,  "  Let  him  caufe  a  cow,  a  prieft,  a  kid, 
or  a  fire,  to  devour  what  remains  of  the  cakes,  or 
let  him  call  them  into  the  water/'  p.  85. 

Much 


8  1  fc 


The  Inftiiutiote  of  -Mofts  &n& 


Much  ufe  is  made  of  the  afhes  of  eowdung  in 
Hindoo  ritual.     "  they  are  thought  to  be  of  a  holy 
nature/'  fays  F.  Bouchet,  "  and  the  Hindoos  fprin- 
kle  their  foreheads,    and  both  their   fhoulders  and 
breafts  with  them  every  morning.     Thofe  afties  arc 
daily  offered  to    the  gods,    arid  the  Jogtiis  feldoift 
Fail  to  have  a  good  ftock  of  them,  in  order  to  dif- 
tribute  them  among  their  devotees,  who  always  re- 
Ward  them  very  liberally  with  alms.      The  Joguis 
alfo  affect  to  cover  their  faces  and  bodies  with  thefe 
afties,   and  alfo  fcatter  them  over  their  idols.     In 
the  courts  of   feveral  princes  certain  perfons  are  ap- 
pointed to  prefcnt    thefe  afhes  dilated  with  a  little 
water,  and  laid  on  the  leave*  of  the  Indian  fig-tree. 
This  ceremony  is  performed  publickly,  and  in  the 
morning,  in  order  that  the   devotees   may  partake 
of  this  falutary  unGion."    (Religious  Ceremonies, 
p.   391.)     Whenever   the    king,  or   Samorin,    of 
Calicut  goes  to  pay  his  devotion  in  the  pagod,  all 
the  way  in  which  he  pafies  is  purified  with  freffi 
cowdung.      This  being  done,  two  women  walk  be- 
fore him.  carrying  two  veflels  full  of  this  cowdung, 
diluted  with  water,  and  fprinkle  it  before  him,  ib. 
In  Malabar  this  purifying  water  is  fprinkled  on 
the  forehead,  as  a  prefervative  againft  misfortune, 
on  a  great  annual  feftival,  and  the  ceremonies  ufed 
in  preparing  and  ufing  thefe  afhes  arc  curious.   They 
are  thus  related  by  a  Malabariafc.     "We  take  a 

cow 


Thofevf  the  Hindoos,  &c,  compared.      213 

eow  all  over  black,  and  fed  not  with  grafs,  but  with 
green  ftraw,  and  take  her  dung,  and  repeating 
fome  formulary  of  prayers  we  form  it  into  lumps, 
and  during  four  or  five  days  dry  it  in  the  ftiade,  and 
then  in  the  fun,  till  it  is  hardened.  Then  they  (the 
bramins)  take  it  to  a.  holy  place  called  Tfchmadalan- 
got,  and  lay  a  great  deal  of  chaff  in  that  place,  and  put 
fire  to  it,  and  when  the  fire  is  quenched,  they  take 
the  afhes  in  a  veffel,  and  with  fome  formulary  of 
words  they  fprinkle  it  with  water,  and  ftir  it,  and 
fift  it  three  times  thro'  a  cloth,  and  make  it  again 
into  lumps,  which  they  dry,  and  feafon  with  all 
forts  of  odoriferous  flowers,  and  bring  before  thek 
idol,  and  make  ufe  of  it  in  all  forts  of  offerings. 
This  is  dirunamun,  or  aflies  prepared  by  the  bra- 
mins." (Phillips  Account  of  Malabar,  p.  105.) 

The  manner  of  ufing  this  water  is  as  follows, 
"  Firft  the  man  wafhes  all  his  body  with  great  de- 
votion, then  takes  the  ames  in  his  hand,  reciting 
devoutly  the  prayer  Nancatfchivaia,  and  other  forms 
learned  of  their  priefts,  and  iikewife  takes  up  in 
his  hand  fome  drops  of  water,  and  wafhes  his  bo- 
dy with  it,  repeating  a  form  of  prayer.  If  it  be  in 
the  morning,  he  turns  his  facejx>wards  the  Eaft,  and 
if  in  the.  afternoon  towards  the  Weft.  Then  he 
takes  the  afhes  in  both  hands,  and  rubs  them  toge- 
ther, directing  his  thoughts  in  the  mean  time  to 
God,  and -befmears  his  head  with  it.  thinking  ol 


The  In/litutions  of  Mofes  and 

the  god  Tshi-vcn  in  particular,  and  befmears  his  fore- 
head with  the  fame  mixture.  The  third  time  he 
directs  his  thoughts  to  RUDDIRZN,  *  and  anoints 
his  breaft.  The  fourth  time  he  thinks  of  Vichnou; 
and  anoints  the  navel.  The  fifth  time  he  anoints  his 
back,  addrefling  his  contemplation  to  Bruma,  bef- 
mearing  likewife  his  neck,  knees  and  arms.  This 
anointing  is  to  keep  off  Emadudakol,  or  the  rneffen- 
ger  of  hell,  who  comes  to  fetch  away  the  dead, 
which  is  believed  to  be  effectually  done  if  he  re- 
peats the  prayer  which  he  has  learned  of  the  prieft 
twenty  times.  When  this  is  done,  he  fings  a  hymn 
in  praifeof  fome  idol  which  he  haschofen  for  the 
object  of  his  devotion,  either  in  his  own  houfe,  or 
by  the  river  fide/'  ib.  p.  105. 

In  the  books  of  Mofes,  (Num.  xix.)  directions 
are  given  to  prepare  a  water  of  purification  with 
the  afhes  of  a  red  heifer,  which  may  be  compared 
with  this  fimilar  practice  of  the  Hindoos.  The 
heifer  was  to  be  all  red,  a  colour  held  in  abhorrence 
ty  the  Hindoos,  as  it  was  by  the  Egyptians,  and 
cedar  wood,  hyffop,  and  fcarlet  wool,  were  to 
be  burned  along  with  it.  The  whole  of  the  heifer 

was 

*  There  is  perhaps  fome  miftake  in  this,  fince  Ruddi- 
ren>  is  only  another  name  for  the  deity  that  is  called  Tcki- 
ven,  Chib,  or  Sieb,  the  third  in  the  Hindoo  fyftem  ;  tho' 
they  might  think  it  of  ufe  to  meditate  on  the  differenf 
ntmes  of  the  fame  god. 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.       215 

was  to  be  burned,  and  not  the  dung  only,  and  the 
alhes,  diflblved  in  water,  were  to  be  ufed  for  the 
purpofe  of  purification,  after  pollution  occafioned 
by  the  touch  of  a  dead  body.  I  own  I  am  not  able 
to  affign  reafons  for  the  fever*!  articles  of  this  ritual, 
but  the  particulars  of  which  it  confifts  are  much 
fewer  than  thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  and  have  in  them 
much  lefs  that  has  the  appearance  of  being  arbi- 
trary ;  and  the  ufe  of  the  water  was  much  more 
fimple.  In  general  much  more  ufe  was  always 
made  of  fymbols  in  the  Eaft  than  with  us,  and  both 
water  and  a/hes  are  natural  fymbols  of  clea-nfing, 
becaufe  they  are  ufed  for  that  purpofe.  The 
choice  of  a  red  heifer  was  probably  in  oppofition  to 
the  idea  of  the  heathens,  who  abominated  that 
colour,  and  preferred  black.  Cedar  wood  and  hyf- 
fop  were  ufed  as  cleanfers  of  wounds,  as  \vas  the 
plant  coccus  which  was  ufed  for  dying  fcarlet  or 
purple.  All  the  articles,  therefore,  bore  fome  re- 
lation to  the  purpofe  of  cleanfing.  Why  all  the 
perfons  employed  in  the  preparation  of  thefe  afhqs 
Ihould  be  confidered  as  unclean,  I  do  not  fee. 

Such  being  the  veneration  which  the  Hindoos 
have  for  cows,  we  do  not  wonder  at  the  penances 
enjoined  for  killing  them,  tho'  they  may  bethought 
difprbportionate  to  the  crimes.  I  fhall,  as  one  of 
the  mofl  curious  articles  in  the  Hindoo  fyftem,  co- 
py what  follows  on  the  fubjecl;  in  the  Jnftitutes  of 

Menu 


21 6  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

Menu,   p.  322.     £t  He  who  commits  the  (mailer 
offence  of  killing  a  cow  without  malice  mull  drink 
for  the  firft  month  barley  corns  boiled  foft  in  water, 
his  head  muft  be  ftiaved  entirely,  and  covered  with 
the  hide  of  the  flain  cow.      He  muft  fix  his  abode 
bn  the  late  paflure  ground.      He  may  eat  a  niode- 
fate  quantity  of  wild  grains,  but  without  any  facti- 
tious fait,  for  the  next  two  months,    at  the  time  of 
each  fourth  repaft,   on  the  evening  of  every  fecond 
day,  regularly  bathed  in  the  urine  of  cows,    and 
keeping  hi*  members  under  controll.     All  day  he 
muft  wait  on  the  herd,  and  (land  quaffing  the  duft 
raifed  by  their  hoofs.     At  night,    having  fervilely 
attended,  and  flroked,   and  faluted  them,  he  muft 
furround  them  with  a  fence,  and  fit  near  to  guard 
them.     Pure,  and  free  from  paflion,   he  muft  ftand 
while  they  ftand,  follow  them  when  they  move  to- 
gether, and  lie  down  by  them  when  they  lie  down. 
Should  a   cow  be  lick,    or  terrified  by  tigers,    or 
thieves,    or  fall,    or  ftick  in  mud,    he  muft  relieve 
her  by  all  poffible  means.     In  heat,  in  rain,  or  in 
cold,  or  while  the  blaft  furioufly  rages,  let  him  not 
feek  his  own  Ihelter,    without  firft  flickering   his 
cows  to  the  utmoft  of  his  power.   Neither  in  his  own 
houfe,  or  field,  or  floor  for  treading  out  grain,  nor  in 
thofe  of  any  other  perfon,   let  him  fay  a  word  of  a 
•  cow  which  cats  corn  or   grafs,  or  of  a   calf  which 
drinks  milk.     By  waiting  on  a  herd  according  to 

thcfe 


Thofi  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       217 

thefe  rales,  for  three   months,  the  flayer  of  a  cow- 
atones  for  his  guilt.     But  his  penance   being  per- 
formed, he  matt  give   ten    caws  and  a  bull  ;    or 
his  flock  not  being  fo  large,  muft  deliver  all  he 
pofleffcs  to  fuch  as  bed  know  the  Veda." 

For  killing  a  cow  with  malice  there  is  not  any 
mode  of  expiation  whatever.  The  murderer  muft 
faffer  death. 

Of  the  purgatory  power  of  fire  nothing  need  be 
added,  after  what  has  been  related  of  the  burning 
of  widows  with  the  bodies  of  their  hufbands.  and 
of  fome  men  being  laid  on  the  funeral  pile  before 
they  are  quite  dead.  It  is  not,  however,  common 
fire,  or  that  which  is  ufcd  for  culinary  purpofes, 
that  has  this  virtue,  Mr.  Wilkins  informs  us  that 
the  bramins  are  enjoined  to  light  a  fire  at  certain 
times,  aod  that  it  muft  be  produced  by  the  fiiclion 
of  two  pieces  of  wood  of  a  particular  kind ;  that 
with  a  fire  thus  procured  their  lacrifices  are  burned, 
the  nuptial  altar  flames,  and  the  funeral  pile  is 
kindled,  (Sketches  relating  to  the  hi/lory,  £3c.  of  the 
Hindoos,  vol.  i,  p.  234.) 

Their  obfervances%.  relating  tofre  are  numerous, 
and  feveral  of  them  have  been  noticed.  I  only 
add  here  the  following  directions  given  to  a  ftudent 
in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu.  "  Having  taken  a  legal 
ftafF  to  his  liking,  let  the  "ftudent  thrice  walk  round 

C  c  the 


2i8  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

the  fire  from  left  to  right,  and  perform  according  to 
law  the  ceremony  of  afking  food,"  p.  23. 

On  the  fubjeft  of  purification  by  water,  I  flball 
be  more  particular;  having  noted  more  circum- 
ftances  of  their  fuperftitious  refpeft  for  this  ele- 
ment. 

I  have  given  an  account  of  perfons  chufing  to 
die  in  rivers,  efpecially  the  Ganges,  on  the  idea 
that  the  foul  paffing  thro*  the  water,  as  it  leaves 
the  body,  is  purged  from  its  impurities.  One  of 
the  travellers  who  defcribes  this  fays,  that  "  they 
who  are  at  a  great  diflance  from  the  Ganges  fatisfy 
themfelves  with  drinking  a  little  of  the  water  be- 
fore they  die,  and  believe  that  they  are  purged 
from  all  their  (ins  by  fo  doing.  People/'  he  fays, 
"  come  from  remote  places  to  carry  it  to  their  own 
country,  and  furnifh  their  pagoda's  with  it.  I 
once,  he  fays,  faw  pafs  thro'  Pondicherry,  which 
is  at  leaft  three  hundred  leagues  from  it,  a  little 
caravan  of  thefe  devotees,  who  had  many  pots 
garnimed  with  rattan,  and  filled  with  the  water 
of  the  Ganges.  Thefe  poor  wretches  guarded 
them  with  great  care,  and  extraordinary  refpe&, 
and  they  had  ftill  a  great  way  to  go  before  they  got 

home/' 

i        

"  They  have  not  only/'  he  adds,  "  a  veneration 
the  Ganges,  which  they  always  regard  as  moil 
holy,  no  lefs  than  a  deity,  but  they  reverence 

rivers. 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.      219 

rivers  in  general ;  and  the  devotees  among  them 
take  care  before  they  put  their  feet  into  the  water 
to  take  fome  of  it,  and  wafh  their  hands,  making 
at  the  fame  time  a  fhort  prayer."  This  cuftom,  he 
obferves,  is  very  ancient,  and  recommended  by 
Hefiod.  (Agreement  of  the  Cufloms  of  the  Eaft-In- 
dians  with  thofe  of  the  Jews,  p.  54.) 

The  ceremony  of  bathing  in  rivers,  and  the  pray- 
ers which  are  ufed  on  that  occafion,  are  thus  def- 
cribed  by  Mr.  Lord.      "  The  bramin  firil  daubs  the 
man  over  with  mud,  and  then  fays  aloud,  O  Lord 
this  man  is  dirty  and  impure,  like  the  mud  of  this 
river ;  but  as  water  can  cleanfe  this  dirt,  do  thou 
free  him  from  his    fin.     He    then    plunges  three 
times    into  the  river,  at  the   fame  time    throwing 
into  it  a  certain  quantity  of  rice,  by  way  of  offer- 
ing, andjifter  this  the  bramin  gives  him  abfolution," 
p.  84.     F.  Bouchet,  alfo  fays  that  it  is  the  belief 
of  the   Hindoos  that  bathing  in  certain  rivers  will 
infallibly  wafh   away  every   fin,  that  it  not   only 
cleanfes  the  body,  but  purifies  the  foul,  (Religious 
Ceremonies,  p.  383. 

This  veneration  for  water,  as  well  as  fire,  was  as 
great  among  the  ancient  Perflans,  and  continues  to 
be  fo  with  the  modern  Parfi's.  Herodotus  fays  that 
the  Perfians,  never  fpit,  or  make  water,  or  warn 
themfelves,  in  a  river,  nor  throw  any  ordure  into 
at,  lib.  i,  fee.  138.  Water  confecrated  with  cer- 
tain 


22O  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofis  and 


tain  ceremonies  is  by  the  Parfi's  calle 
and  Ls  fuppofed  to  have  a  particular  virtue  with 
refpecl:  to  the  foul,  (Account  of  Zendavejla  in  the 
Annual  Regifter  for  1762,  p.  117-) 

Niebuhr  fays  the  modern  Parfi's  never  extin- 
guilli  a  fire  by  blowing  it  out,  left  they  mould 
pollute  the  purity  of  that  element  by  their  breath. 
In  the  travels  colle&ed  by  Delaporte  it  is  faid  they 
employ  earth,  but  never  water,  to  extinguifh  fire  ; 
and  that  the  greateft  misfortune  that  can  befall 
them  is  to  let  the  fire  in  the  houfe  go  out,  fo  as 
to  have  occafion  to  get  more  from  their  neighbours, 
vol.  3,  p.  102. 

With  the  Hebrews  there  was  a  fire  kept  con- 
ftantly  burning  for  the  purpofe  of  facrificing,  be- 
caufc  there  was  conftant  ufe  for  it,  but  fire  in  gene- 
ra], as  one  of  the  elements  of  nature,  was  never 
confidered  by  them  as  an  object  of  veneration. 
With  refpe6l  to  water,  alfo  frequent  bathing  wag 
enjoined  them,  but  they  had  no  idea  of  the  fan&i- 
fying  nature  of  water,  as  affecling  the  mind.  There 
was  no  concourfe  of  people  to  bathe  in  ihe  river 
Jordan,  or  any  particular  river,  as  having  more 
virtue  than  another. 

The  Ifraelites  were  like  wife  free  from  thefuper- 
ftition  of  pilgrimages  on  that,  or  on  any  other  ac- 
count. They  were  required  to  refort  to  one  place 
at  their  public  feftivals,  but  it.  was  for  the  obvious 

purpofe 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared. 

purpofe  of  preferving  the  unity  of  the  nation,  and 
the  national  worfhip ;  and  the  whole  country  be- 
ing of  no  great  extent,  this  intercourfe  was  eafily 
preferved.  There  was  nothing  of  fuperfHtion  in 
this,  becaufe  it  was  not  always  to  the  fame  place. 
Jn  the  wildernefs  the  place  of  worfhip  was  a  move- 
able  tabernacle,  in  Paleftine  it  was  firft  at  Shiloh, 
and  afterwards  at  Jerufalem.  that  place  being  the 
mod  convenient,  as  being  the  metropolis  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Sonnerat  fays,  vol.  i,  p.  272,  the  Jews 
afcribed  a  divine  virtue  to  the  fountain  of  youth,  but 
he  refers  to  no  authority  for  this  ftrange  aflcrtion, 
nor  does  he  fay  where  this  extraordinary  fountain 
was.  One  would  think  that  he  had  been  read- 
ing the  Arabian  Tales,  and  miftook  that  book  for 
the  Bible. 

Mr.  Boulanger  fays,  "  religion  muft  have  ren- 
dered the  fountain  of  Siloe  refpedlable  by  the  Heb- 
rews becauie  it  was  near  that  fountain  that  they  went 
to  confecrate  their  kings.  See,"  he  fays  "  2  Kings 
i.  28."  Now  the  only  mention  of  the  confecration 
of  any  king  near  that  place  was  that  of  Solomon, 
and  no  mention  is  made  of  the  fountain,  or  of  any 
water,  on  the  occafion.  It  is  only  faid  that  they 
went  to  Gihon,  and  in  the  maps  of  f  erufalem,  there 
is  both  a  hill  and  a  fountain  in  that  place,  and  the 
fountain  is  fuppofed  to  be  the  fame  that  is  elfe- 

where 


222  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

where  called  Siloe.  Solomon  was  anointed  with 
oil,  but  no  intimation  is  given  of  the  facrednefs  of 
the  place  in  which  the  ceremony  was  performed, 
whether  it  was  on  the  hill,  or  in  the  valley.  It  is 
probable  they  went  out  of  the  city  with  no  other 
view  than  to  prevent  the  tranfa&ion  being  known 
to  Adonijah  and  his  friends,  and  to  return  in  a 
princely  cavalcade  when  the  ceremony  was  over; 
and  for  any  thing  that  appears  in  the  hiftory,  any 
other  place  near  the  city  would  have  anfwered  the 
purpofe  juft  as  well.  On  fuch  flight  foundations 
do  many  unbelievers  found  their  objections  to  the 
religion  of  the  Hebrews,  in  order  to  make  out 
fomething  like  a  fimilarity  between  it  and  what  muft 
be  allowed  to  be  abfurd  in  that  of  the  heathens, 
when  no  two  things  which  had  the  fame  objeft 
could  be  more  unlike,  the  one  being  a  perfect  con- 
traft  to  the  other. 


SECTION 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &?c,  compared. 


SECTION    XVIII. 

Of  the  licentious  Rites  of  the  Hindoo  and  other  anci- 
ent Religions. 

THEferiousconfcquencesof  adopting    errone- 
ous principles,  even  inch  are  commonly  called 
mctaphyfical  ones,   feemingly  the  moil  remote  from 
practice,  is  perhaps  in  nothing  more  apparent  than 
with  refpect  to  the  ideas  which  were  in  early  ages 
entertained  concerning  nature,    when  its  attributes 
came  to  be  objects  of  worfhip.     As  there  muft  be 
a  concurrence  of  male  and  female  powers  for  the 
production  of  all  living  creatures,  it  was  fuppofed 
that,  in  the  great  productive  powers  of  nature,  there 
muft  be  both  male  and  female  qualities.     The  E- 
gyptians  had  this  idea,   and  accordingly  feveral  of 
their  principal  deities  were  faid  to  be  both  male  and 
female.     And  having  little  idea  of  delicacy,  which 
is  the  product  of  refinement,  they  reprefented  thofe 
powers  by  the  figures  of  the  parts  of  generation. 
But  the  conftant  exhibition  of  thefe  figures  in  their 
religious  worfhip  could  not  but  lead  to  much  lewd- 
nefs,   firfl  as  an  act  of  religion,   acceptable  to  then: 
gods,  and  then  in  common  life  ;    tho'  this   might 

be 


224  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  anl 

be  far  from  the  intention  of  thofe  who  formed  the 
plan  of  the  popular  worihip. 

Hence,  however,  it  is  that,  in  the  ancient  hea- 
then religions,  we  find  rites  of  the  moft  oppofite 
nature,  the  extreme  of  feverity  and  cruelty  in  fome, 
and  the  extreme  of  indecency  and  fenfual  indul- 
gence in  others.  This  is  well  known  to  have  been 
the  cafe  in  Egypt,  which  was  the  mother  of  religion, 
and  of  icience,  to  a  great  part  of  the  Weftern 
world.  We  cannot  without  the  utmoft  difguft 
and  horror  think  of  what,  according  to  the  tefti- 
mony  of  Herodotus,  whofe  authority  in  this  cafe 
cannot  be  queftioned,  women  did  before  the  bull 
Apis,  and  efpecially  with  the  goat  that  was  wor- 
fhipped'at  Mendes,  to  fay  nothing  of  the  peculiar- 
ly indecent  manner  in  which  he  fays  that,  in  their 
religious  proceffions,  they  carried  the  phalli,  and 
of  their  behaviour,  when,  in  fome  of  their  fefti- 
vals,  they  went  in  boats  along  the  Nile,  and  exhi- 
bited themfelves  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages 
on  the  borders  of  it,  lib.  2.  The  Nile  itfelf,  accord- 
ing to  the  teftimony  ofchriftian  writers,  was  wor- 
fhipped  with  the  moft  obfcene  and  execrable  rites, 
even  Sodomitical  practices,  ( JaUonJki,  vol.  2,  p. 
172.  Eufibii  Vita  Conjlantini,  lib.  4,  cap.  25.) 

The  idea  that  Plutarch  gives  us  of  the  Egypti- 
an rites  is  fufficiently  difgufting.  "Many  of  their 
religious  folemnities,"  he  fays,  "  were  of  a  mourn- 


Thojt  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       225 

fell  caft,  and  celebrated  with  much  auflerity.  Some 
cf  their  feflivals  and  direful  facrifioes  were  confi- 
dered  as  unfortunate  and  mournful  days,  and  were 
celebrated  by  eating  raw  flefh,  torn  with  men's 
nails.  On  other  days  they  faft,  and  fmite  their 
breafts,  and  in  feveral  places  filthy  and  indecent 
words  are  ufed  during  the  facrifkes,"  (De  Iftdc  et 
OJiride.)  "In  their  feftivals  and  proceffions 
the  greater  part,"  he  fays,  "  aft  ludicrous  things, 
both  fpeaking  and  thinking  words  of  the  mod 
wicked  and  lewd  meaning,  and  that  even  of 
the  gods  themfelves.  But  when  they  confult 
their  oracles,  they  are  advifed  to  have  pious 
thoughts  in  their  hearts,  and  words  of  good  found 
in  their  mouths,"  ib. 

No  revels  of  the  moft  irreligious  perfons  could 
be  more  extravagant  and  indecent  than  the  feflivals 
of  Bacchus  ;  and  the  fame  people  who  facrifked 
men,  and  even  their  own  children,  had  places  ap- 
propriated to  proftitution,  even  of  both  fexes,  ad- 
joining to  their  temples,  the  profits  arifing  from 
which  were  a  part  of  their  revenues. 

The  Hindoo  religion  is  little,  if  at  all,  Icfs  ex- 
ceptionable than  the  ancient  Egyptian  in  this  re- 
ipect.  "  Nothing/'  fays  Mr.  De  la  Croze,  «  is 
more  revered  by  the  Hindoos  than  the  ling  am. 
Their  moft  folemn  worfhip  is  prefented  to  their 
gods  in  this  form,  vol.  2,  p.  275.  Lighted  lamps 

D  4  are 


226  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

are  continually  burning  before  it,  in  the  inmoft  re- 
cedes of  their  temples,  furrounded  by  other  lamps 
with  feven  branches,  like  that  of  the  Hebrews.  Be- 
fidcs  thofc  in  the  temples,  they  have  fmall  ones  of 
flone  or  cryflal,  which  they  hang  to  their  necks, 
and  fallen  upon  their  heads.  To  thefe  they  ad- 
drefs  almofl  all  their  prayers,  and  frequently  have 
them  buried  with  them,"  p.  277. 

Captain  Campbell,  aiter  defcribing  the  lafcivi- 
ous  dancing  of  Hindoo  girls,  who  get  their  living 
by  it,  fays  (Journey  over  land  to  India,  p.  378,) 
"  that  fuch  inticements  to  vice  fhould  make  a  part 
of  the  fyftem  of  any  fociety  is  to  be  lamented  ;  yet 
in  all  ceremonies  and  great  occafions,  whether  of 
religious  worfhip,  or  domeflic  enjoyment,  they 
make  a  part  of  the  entertainment ;  and  the  altars 
of  their  gods,  and  the  purity  of  the  Magic  rites, 
are  alike  polluted  by  the  introduction  of  the  dan- 
cing girls.  The  impurity  of  this  cuflom,  how- 
ever, vanifhes  when  compared  with  the  hideous 
practice  of  introducing  dancing  boys." 

He  gives  the  following  account  of  the  celebrated 
pagoda  of  Jaggernat,  which  he  calls  "  a  curious 
and  grotefque  monument  of  fuperflitious  folly/* 
It  is,"  he  fays  "  an  immenfe  barbarous  flru&ure, 
<jf  a  kind  oi.  pyramidal  form,  *  embellifhed  with 

devices 

*  Mr.  Hamilton  describes  this  temple  as  in  the  form  of 
&  large  calk,  forty  or  fifty;  yanjs  high,  bulging  out  in  thf 


Thofe  ef  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       227 

devices  cut  in  flone  work,  not  more  fingular  than 
difgufting,  Chriflian  idolaters,  in  forming  types 
and  figures  of  divine  beings,  always  endeavour  to 
reprefent  them  as  proportionate  to  the  divine  nature 
as  human  {kill  can  make  them.  Thefe  pagans,  on 
the  contrary,  in  forming  their  idols,  call  out  every 
veftige  of  beauty,  every  thing  that  by  the  confentof 
mankind  is  fuppofed  to  convey  pleafing  fenfations, 
and  in  their  place  fubftitute  the  moil  extravagant 
and  unnatural  deformity,  the  moft  loathfome  nafti- 
nefs,  and  the  moft  difgufting  obfcenity.  It  is  not 
in  language  to  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  their 
temples  and  idols ;  and  if  it  was,  no  purpofe  could 
be  anfwered  by  it  but  the  excitement  of  painful  and 
abominable  fenfations/' 

"  To  keep  pace  with  the  figures  of  their  idols  a 
chief  bramin,  by  Tome  artificial  means  (by  herbs  I 
believe)  has  brought  to  a  moft  unnatural  form,  and 
enormous  dimenfions,  that  which  decency  forbids 
me  to  mention  ;  and  the  pure  and  fpotlefs  women, 
who  from  their  infancy  have  been  fhut  up  from  the 
fight  of  men,  even  of  their  brothers,  are  brought 
to  kifs  that  difgufting  and  fhapelefs  monfter,  under 
the  prepofterous  belief  that  it  promotes  fecundity, 

ib".  p.  412, 

middle,  with  the  figure  of  a  bull  cut  in  ftone  proje£ling 
from  the  middle  of  it.  (New  account  of  the  Eaft-lnditt, 
Vol.  I,  p.  386.) 


228  The  Inftitutions  cf  Mofss  and 

ib.  p.  412.  Tavernier  mentions  the  fame  abomi- 
nable cuftom,  vol.  i,  p.  423.  As  alfodoes  Alex- 
ander Hamilton  in  his  account  of  the  Eaft- Indies, 
vol.  i,  p.  152. 

In  this  pagoda,  Capt.  Campbell  fays,  ftands  the 
figure  of  Jaggernat,  but  it  is  nothing  more  than  a 
black  ftone,  of  an  irregular  pyramidal  form,  having 
two  rich  diamonds  in  the  top  by  way  of  eyes,  and 
a  nofe  and  mouth  painted  red.  For  this  god,  he 
fays,  five  hundred  priefls  are  employed  in  fpoiling 
lood. 

Every  pagoda,  fays  La  Croze,  has  a  certain 
number  of  proftitutes  annexed  to  it,  dedicated  to 
its  ufe  by  pompous  and  folemn  ceremonies.  They 
chufe  the  handfomeft,  and  educate  them  in  fuch  a 
manner,  that  when  they  come  to  a  proper  age 
they  may  bring  the  greateft  gain  to  the  temple  by 
the  price  of  their  proftitution.  They  can  never 
marry,  or  leave  the  idol ;  and  their  children,  if 
they  have  any,  are  alfo  dedicated  to  it,  p.  313, 
&c. 

Some,  fays  Mr.  William  Chambers,  devote 
their  own  children  to  this  profeffion.  This  is  cuf- 
tomary  in  the  Decan,  but  not  with  the  Hindoos  of 
Bengal  or  Indoftan  proper.  He  fays  this  cuftom 
was  probably  derived  from  the  religion  of  Budda, 
(Dijfcrtations  relating  to  AJia,  vol.  2,  p.  51.)  But 
almofl  all  the  ancient  heathen  religions  had  the 

fame 


Thoff  of  the  Hindoos,   C#£.  compared.       229 

fame  cuflom.  It  is  defcribed  at  large  "by  Hero- 
dotus, as  it  was  pra&iced  at  Babylon  in  his  time; 
and  it  is  frequently  alluded  to  in  the  Old  Tefbu 
mcnt.  Lucian,  in  his  Treatife  on  the  Syrian  god- 
defs,  fays  that  thofe  women  who  refufe  to  cut  off 
their  hair  on  her  feftival  mufl  proftitute  themfelves 
during  one  day  ;  and  that  what  they  receive  on  that 
account  is  given  to  the  goddefs  for  a  facrifice.  In 
Malabar  it  is  reckoned  meritorious  to  bring  up 
girls,  who  are  commonly  baftards,  for  the  fervice 
of  the  temples,  and  they  are  taught  muGc  and 
dancing.  When  they  are  of  a  proper  age,  they 
go  thro'  the  ceremony  of  a  marriage  to  the  god, 
(Philips  Account  of  Malabar,  p.  101.) 

Whether  it  was  owing  to  cuftoms  of  this  kind, 
or  a  natural  fimplicity  of  manners  that  pre- 
vailed in  early  tunes,  the  writings  of  the  ancient 
Greeks  and  Romans  have  not  the  decency  of  mo- 
dern competitions.  But  it  is  probable  that  the  wri- 
tings of  the  Hindoos  are  flill  more  cenfurablein  this 
refpect,  iince  Mr.  Langles,  the  admirer  of  this  fyf- 
tem,  has  not  thought  proper  to  tranflate  certain  paf- 
fages  of  the  Hitopades,  becaufe  he  fays,  p.  177, 
"  they  are  fo  grots  that  it  is  not  poffible  to  give 
them  a  decent  colouring/' 

In  many  countries  it  has  been  thought  neceffary 
to  connive  at  proftitution ;  and  certain  places  in  ci- 
ties have  been  allowed  where  proftitutes  might  live 

unmolefled ; 


$30  The  Injliiutions  of  Mofes  and' 

unmolefled ;  but  in  no  part  of  the  world  ar  fuch 
indications  of  its  being  confidered  as  a  lawful  oc- 
cupation as  in  Hindoftan.  For  there,  in  cafe  of  a 
debt,  the  creditor  cannot  take  from  a  proflitute  any 
thing  that  is  neceflary  to  fet  off  her  perfon  to  ad- 
vantage, any  more  than  he  can  take  from  ano- 
ther the  neceflary  implements  of  his  trade.  (Code 
of  Gentoo  laws,  p.  273.) 

To  Hebrew  women  proftitution  was  in  all  cafes 
abfolutely  forbidden ;  but,  in  allufion  to  the  prac- 
tice of  the  heathens,  more  efpecially  as  an  aft  of  re- 
ligion. Their  cuftom  of  having  places  of  profti- 
tution in  the  precincts  of  their  temples  is  more  than 
once  alluded  to  in  the  writings  of  Mofes,  but  al- 
ways with  the  greatefl  abhorrence,  as  unworthy  of 
the  purity  of  the  religion  that  he  taught,  Deut. 
xxiii.  18.  Thou  /halt  not  bring  the  hire  of  a  harlot 
into  the  houfe  of  the  Lord  thy  god.  There fhall  be  no 
harlot  of  the  daughters  of  Ifrael,  nor  a  Sodomite  of 
thefons  of  Ifrael.  Tho'  there  are  in  the  fcriptures 
fuch  expreflions  as  we  fhould  not  now  chufe  to  make 
ufe  of,  they  do  not  go  beyond  that  fimplicity  which 
is  perfectly  confiftent  with  the  greateft  purity  of 
manners ;  and  to  this  the  greateft  poflible  attention 
was  paid  in  every  part  of  the  fyftem.  In  the  New 
Teftament  the  cuftoms  of  the  heathens  in  thefe  ref- 
pe&s  are  frequently  alluded  to,  but  always  with 
cautions  to  chriftians  to  keep  at  the  greateft  diftance 
from  them.  SECTION 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos  >  &c*  compared. 


SECTION     XIX. 

Of  Charms  and  Fortunate  Times. 

TH  E  deplorable  ignorance  of  the  heathen  world 
in  general,  in  early  ages,  is  in  nothing  more 
apparent  than  in  their  belief  and  praQicc  with  ref- 
pe&  to  charms,  or  their  opinion  that  wonderful  ef- 
fects may  be  produced  by  the  life  of  certain  forms  of 
words,  and  ceremonies,  which,  however,  have  not 
the  leaft  connection  with  them,  or  dependance  up- 
on them.  A  great  part  of  all  the  heathen  religions 
confided  of  things  of  this  nature  ;  lince  they  be- 
lieved that  the  powers  of  fuperior  beings,  refiding 
in  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  other  parts  of  nature, 
which  were  the  obje6h  of  their  worfhip,  might  be 
effectually  engaged,  and  made  fubfervient  to  them 
by  this  means. 

The  religion  of  the  Greeks,  derived  in  a  great 
meafure  from  Egypt,  and  alfo  that  of  the  Romans, 
derived  from  the  Hetrufcans.  abounded  with  things 
of  this  nature,  while  that  of  the  Hebrews  was  fo 
intirely  free  from  every  thing  of  the  kind,  that  to 
pcrfons  acquainted  with  antiquity,  and  indeed  with 
human  nature,  there  can  hardly  be  a  more  finking 

proof 


232  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

proof  of  the  divine  origin  of  their  religion.  How 
came  this  one  nation  to  be  fo  great  an  exception  from 
all  others  in  this  refpecl  ?  How  came  they  to  have 
nothing  at  all  of  that  which  to  men  of  fenfe  at  this 
day  muft  make  all  other  ancient  religions  perfectly 
contemptible  ?  What  advantage  can  it  be  faid  that 
Mofes,  or  any  of  his  nation,  had  for  fo  much  fu- 
perior  good  fenfe,  and  fo  much  more  knowledge  of 
the  powers  of  nature.  The  liraelites  muft  natu- 
rally have  been  as  prone  to  this  wretched  fuperfti- 
tion  as  other  peop^,  and  their  addi&ednefs  to  it 
a&ually  appears  by  their  readinefs  to  abandon  their 
own  ieligion,  which  was  free  from  it,  and  to  embrace 
that  of  their  neighbours,  which  was  loaded  with  it: 
Thus  we  read  concerning  king  Mannaffeh,  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  2.  He  did  evil  in  the  fight  of  the  Lord,  like  unto 
the  abominations  of  the  heathen,  whom  the  Lord  had 
cajl  out  before  the  children  of  IfraeL  For  he  built  again 
the  high  places  which  Hezekiah  his  father  had  broken 
down,  and  he  reared  up  altars  for  Baal,  and 
made  groves,  and  worjliipped  all  the  hojl  of  heaven, 
and  ferved  them.  And  he  caufed  his  children  to  pafs 
ihro'  the  fire  in  the  valley  of  the  fon  cf  Hinnom. 
Alfo  he  obferved  times,  and  ufed  enchantments,  and 
ujed  witchcraft,  and  dealt  with  a  familiar  fpirit, 
and  with  wizzards. 

We  fee   here  the  intimate  connexion    that  al- 
ways fub&fted  between  idolatry  and  thefe  fuperfti- 

tious 


Ihoftof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      233 

tious  obfervances.  They  make  an  eflfential  pait 
of  all  the  heathen  religions.  Let  us  now  hear 
what  Mofesfays  with  refpecl;  to  them,  Deut.  xviii. 

10.     There  Jhall  not  be  found  among  you  any  One 
that  maketh  his  fen  or  his  daughter  to  fafs  thro  the 
fire,  or    that  ufeth    divination,  or  an  olferver    of 
times,  or  an  enchanter,    or  a  witch,  or  a  charmer, 
or  a  confulter  with  familiar  fpirits,  or  a  wizzard, 
vr  a  necromancer.     For  all  that  do  thefc  things  art 
an  abomination  to  the  Lord,  and  becaufe  of  ihefe  abo-, 
minations  the  Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them  out  from 
before  thee.       Thou  /halt  be  per/eft,  with  the  Lord 
thy  God.     For  thefe  nations  whofe   country  thou /halt 
pojfefs    hearkened   unto  obfervers  of  times,     and  to 
diviners ;  but  as  for  thee,  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  net 
fuffered  thee  fo  to  do.      Do  we  not  here  fee  a  moft. 
Jinking  difference  between  the  opinions  and  prac- 
tices of  the  heathens  and  thofe  of  the    Hebrews  • 
and  need  I  fay  on  which   fide  is  reafon  and   good 
fenfe,  and   on   which  an  abfurd  fuperflitipn3  tha 
offspring  of  the  mod  deplorable  ignorance. 

A  belief  in  charms  is  not  confined  to  the  vuU 
gar  among  the  Hindoos.  It  is  authorized  by  their 
facred  books,  and  profeffed  by  their  learned  bramins. 
The  Veda's  contain  the  moll  horrid  forms  of  in* 
cantation  for  the  deftruclion  of  enemies,  (Differ- 
tations  relating  to  AJla,  vol.  2,  p.  106.)  The 
Qayatri;  fo  pften  mentioned  already,  is  ufed  in 

E  § 


£34  The  Infiitutions  of  Mofes  and 

one  of  thefe  charms,  confiding  as  we  are  told,  of 
verfes  aptly  fitted  and  varioufly  meafured,  ib. 
p.  ico.  The  Yantra,  as  we  are  informed  by  a 
chief  magi  {irate  of  Benares,  (  Dijfertations  relating 
to  A/la,  vol.  i,  p.  92,)  is  a  fcheme  of  figures, 
which  they  write,  with  a  belief  that  their  wifhes 
will  be  accomplifhed  by  it.  Tantra,  is  a  medical 
preparation  by  the  ufe  of  which  they  think  that 
all  injuries  may  be  avoided.  They  are  faid  to 
rub  it  on  their  hands,  and  afterwards  to  touch  red 
hot  iron  without  being  burned,  ib. 

The  learned  pundits,  who  compiled  the  Code  of 
Gcntoo  laws,  fay,  p.  118.  "  The  magiiirate  mail 
keep  many  intelligent  phyficians,  or  men  who 
cure  by  fpells."  The  Inftitutes  of  Menu  fay, 
"  Let  the  king  eat  lawful  aliment,  after  it  has  been 
hallowed  by  texts  of  the  Veda,  repulfive  of  poi- 
fon.  Let  him  conilantly  wear  with  attention  fuch 
gems  as  are  known  to  repel  venom,'*  p.  107.  In 
the  fame  work  we  read  that  "  a  bramin  will  ufe 
without  heiitation  the  powerful  charms  revealed  by 
Atharvan,  and  by  him  to  Angiras ;  for  fpeech  is 
the  weapon  of  the  bramins,  and  with  that  he  de- 
ilroys  his  oppreffors,"  p.  311. 

Some  Hindoos  in  Malabar  "  carry  about  them 
a  word  confifiing  of   five  letters,  fignifying  praife 
to  God,  and  with  thefe  letters  they  pretend   to  per- 
form many  wonders.  (Phillips  Account  of  Mala- 
bar. 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       235 

bar,  p.  2 1 .  "  They  believe  that  by  certain  rites  they 
can  engage  the  afliftance  of  fome  of  their  tutelary 
gods  and  goddeffes,  cure  the  headach,  break  the 
arm  or  leg  of  a  man,  deprive  him  of  his  fenfes,  and 
even  of  his  life,"  p.  148. 

But  the  moft  curious  account  that  I  have  any 
where  met  with  concerning  the  power  of  charms  is 
that  which  Mr.  Richardfon  relates  of  the'proct  fs 
by  which  the  Parfi's  expel  the  demon  they  call 
Daroudj  Nefcch.  It  is  in  a  dialogue  betv  -en  Or 
mufd,  or  the  Supreme  Being,  and  Zerck.iiH 
Zoroafler,  who  defires  to  be  informed  how  a  man 
may  drive  away  this  demon,  fuppofed  to  have 
affumed  the  form  of  a  jly,  when  he  has  got  poffef- 
fion  of  the  crown  of  the  head.  Ormufd  directs 
him  to  wafh  the  part,  which  will  drive  the  fiend 
between  the  eyebrows  :  Thence  he  is  driven  by 
another  ablution  to  the  back  of  the  head,  thence 
to  the  ear,  thence,  in  fucceflion,  to  the  nofe,  the 
mouth,  and  the  chin  ;  and  at  length  to  the  left 
foot ;  when  the  following  procefs  is  to  be  gone 
through.  When  the  water  has  reached  the  top  of 
the  left  foot  it  muft  be  raifed,  letting  the  toe  reft 
on  the  ground,  while  the  under  part  of  the  right 
foot  is  waihed.  The  demon  then  retires  under 
the  left  foot.  That  being  waihed,  he  places  hitn- 
felf  under  the  toe.  Then  refting  the  fole  of  the 
foot  on  the  ground,  the  toe  muil  be  raifed,  and 

thofe 


I'nflitutiom  of  hfofes  and 

thoTe  of  the  right  foot  wafhed.  He  then  retires 
under  the  left  foot,  and  when  that  is  wafhed  he 
is  completely  driven  away,  and  retires  towards  the 
North,  p.  234. 

When  men  were  ignorant  of  the  true  caufes  of 
events,  and  yet  iiecefiarily  fuppofed  that  they  muft 
h&ve  fome  caufe,  they  of  courfe  fixed  on  imagina^- 
ry  ones  ;  and  when  the  caufe  was  not  any  thing  that 
was  vifible  to  them,  they  fuppofed  invifible  agent* 
to  be  concerned  ;  and  that  they  interpofed  at  cer- 
tain times,  and  in  certain  circum (lances,  rather  than 
in  others.  Hence  a  great  part  of  the  religions  of 
ancient  nations  confided  in  fuperftitiousobfervances 
refpe6iing  particular  times  and  circum/lanccs,  on 
which  they  imagined  good  or  bad  fuccefs  to  de- 
pend. The  religion  of  the  Hindoos  abounds  with 
things  of  this  nature  ;  but  I  (hall  confine  myfelf  to 
the  recital  of  a  very  few,  as  any  perfon  may  fee 
who  mall  perufe  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu. 

All  men  naturally  wifh  to  live  long  and  be  hap- 
py, but  few  know  how  to  fecure  thefe  advantages. 
Let  us  then  hear  the  wifdom  of  the  Eafton  this  head. 
<c  Let  not  a  man  who  dcfires  to  enjoy  long  life  ftand 
upon  hair,  nor  upon  ames,  bones,  or,  potiherds. 
fcor  Upon  feeds  of  cotton,  nor  upon  huflcs  of  grain/* 
'(Inftitutts  ff  Menu,  p.  98.)  Compare  this  with 
what  We  End  in  the  pfalms  of  David  on  the  fame 
Ps.  xxxiv.  12,  What  man  is  he  that  defi- 

rcih 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   £?c.  compared.       237 

+eth  life,  and  loveth  many  days  that  he  may  fee  good. 
Keep  thy  foot  from  evil,  and  thy  lips  from /peaking 
guile.  Depart  from  evil,  and  do  good,  feek  peace 
and  purfuc  it.  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  the 
righteous,  and  his  ears  are  open  unto  their  cry.  The 
face  of  the  Lord  is  againft  them  that  do  evil,  to  cut 
off  the  remembrance  of  them  from  the  earth. 

The  future  happincfs  of  a  child  is  fuppofed  by 
the  Hindoos  to  depend  on  the  prevailing  influence 
of  the  planets  at  the  time  of  its  birth.  This  how- 
ever is  a  circumftance  that  men  cannot  command  ; 
but  the  time  of  giving  a  child  its  name  they  can, 
and  they  fuppofe  that  much  depends  upon  this* 
On  the  tenth  day  after  the  birth  of  a  child,  the  re- 
lations are  afTembled  to  give  it  a  name,  when  the 
bramin  examines  the  planets,  and  if  they  be  found 
unfavourable,  the  ceremony  is  deferred,  and  facri- 
fices  are  performed  to  avert  misfortune.  (Sketches 
relating  to  the  hijlory,  6?c.  of  the  Hindoos,  vol.  2, 
p.  11.)  On  this  fubje&  the  Inilitutes  of  Menu  fay, 
"  Let  the  father  caufe  to  be  performed  on  the  tenth 
day  after  the  birth  the  ceremony  of  giving  a  name, 
or  on  fome  fortunate  day  of  the  moon,  at  a  lucky 
hour,  and  under  the  influence  of  ftars  with  good 
qualities,"  p.  21. 

Both  the  benedictions,  and  the  imprecations, 
of  certain  perfons  have  been  thought  to  have  a 
|reat  effect ;  and  contemptuoufly  as  the  Hindoos 

think 


The  Inflitutions  of  Mofes 

think  of  women,  they  fuppofe  that,  in  this  refpecl:, 
even  they  have  great  power,  "  On  whatever 
tiQufe"  fay  the  Inftitntes  of  Menu,  "  the  women  of 
the  tamily,  not  being  duly  honoured,  pronounce  an 
imprecation,  thofe  houfes,  with  all  that  belong  to 
them,  utterly  periflb,  as  if  deftroyed  by  a  facrifice 
for  the  death  of  an  enemy.  Let  thofe  women, 
therefore,  be  continually  lupplied  with  ornaments, 
apparel,  and  food  at  feftivals,  and  jubilees,  by  men 
deiirous  of  wealth,"  p.  59. 

The  fuperftitious  obfervances  refpecling  the 
bramins  are  the  moft  numerous,  and  fanciful,  far 
beyond  our  weflern  conception.  I  mall  recite  a 
few  taken  promifcuoufly  from  the  Inftitutes  of 
Menu.  "  If  a  bramin  feek  long  life  he  muft  eat 
with  his  face  to  the  Eaft ;  if  exalted  fame,  to  the 
South;  if  profperity,  to  the  Weft;  if  truth,  to  the 
North,  p.  23.  What  a  bramin  eats  with  his  head 
covered,  what  he  eats  with  his  face  to  the  South, 
what  he  eats  with  fandals  on  his  feet,  the  demons 
affuredly  devour,"  p.  82.  Let  not  a  Chandala, 
or  a  town  boar,  a  cock,  a  dog,  a  woman  in  her 
courfes,  or  an  eunuch  fee  the  bramins  eating. 
That  which  any  one  of  them  fees  at  the  oblation 
to  fire,  at  a  folemn  donation  of  cows,  and  gold,  at 
a  rcpaft  given  to  bramins,  at  holy  rites  to  the  gods, 
and  at  the  obfequies  to  anceilors,  produces  not 
the  intended  fruit,  p.  82.  The  boar  deilroys  it 

by 


Thoft  of 'the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.      239 

by  his  fmell,  the  cock  by  the  air  of  his  wings,  the 
dog  by  the  caft  of  a  look,  the  man  of  the  loweft  caft 
by  the  touch/'  ib. 

"  Let  no  bramin  gaze  on  the  fun,  whether  riling 
or  fetting,  or  eclipfed,  or  reflected  in  water,  or 
advanced  to  the  middle  of  the  iky.  Over  a  firing 
to  which  a  calf  is  tied  let  him  not  ftep,  nor  let  him 
run  while  it  rains,  nor  let  him  look  at  his  own 
image  in  the  water.  This  is  a  fettled  rule,  p.  94. 
By  a  mound  of  earth,  by  a  cow,  by  an  idol,  by  a 
bramin,  by  a  pot  of  clarified  butter,  or  of  honey, 
by  a  place  where  four  ways  meet,  and  by  large 
trees  well  known  in  the  diflrift,  let  him  pafs  with 
his  right  hand  towards  them.  Let  him  neither 
eat  with  his  wife,  nor  look  at  her  eating,  or  fheez- 
ing,  oryawning,  or  fitting  carelefsly  at  her  eafe/'  ib. 

The  reilriclions  that  bramins  are  under  with  ref- 
pecl  to  the  voiding  of  their  ^excrements  are  very 
numerous.  Among  them  are  the  following.  "  Nor 
let  him  eje6l  them  looking  at  things  moving,  the 
wind,  or  at  fire,  or  at  a  prieft,  or  at  the  fun,  or  at 
water,  or  at  cattle  ;  but  let  him  void  them  with  his 
face  to  the  North,  by  night,  with  his  face  to  the 
South ;  at  fun  rife  and  fun  fet  in  the  fame  man- 
ner as  by  day.  Of  him  who  urines  againfl  fire, 
againfl  the  fun,  or  moon,  againfl  a  twice  born 
man,  a  cow,  or  the  wind,  all  the  facred  know- 
kdge  would  perifli/'  p.  95. 

A  bramin 


^e  Injlltutions  of  Mofes  and 

A  bramin  mufl  never  cut  his  own  hair,  or 
nails,  nor  even  tear  his  nails  with  his  teeth,  ib. 
p.  95.  "  He  who  idly  breaks  clay,  or  cuts 
grafs,  or  bites  his  nails,  will  fpeedily  fink  to  ruin/4 

P.  98. 

As  to  prognoflics  of  good  or  bad  fuccefs,  a  great 
number  of  them,  as  obferved  by  the  Hindoos   of 
Malabar,  may  be  feen  in  Mr.  Phillips's  Account, 
p.  135.     "A  lucky  day  being  firfl  chofen,  when  he 
goes  out  of  the  door,  he  obferves  all  that  he  meets. 
If  he  happen  to  fneeze  he   turns  in   the  books  of 
prognoftication   to  the  chapter  of  fneezing  ;     if  a 
crow  croaks,  to  the  chapter  of  crows,  or  birds.   In 
general,  it  is  a  bad  fign  if  a  blind  man,    a  bramin, 
or  a  wafherwoman,  meets  a  man,  or  a  man  with  an 
empty  panel,  or  when  he  fees  an  oil  mill,   or  meets 
a  man  with  his  head  uncovered,  or  hears  a  weep- 
ing voice,  or  fees  a  fore,  or  a  cat,  crofting  the  way, 
or  a  dog  running  on  his  right  hand.     When  a  pot- 
ter, or  a  widow,  meets  a   man   it  is  a  bad    fign. 
When  a  man  fprains  his  foot,  or  falls  on  his  head, 
he  confults  thofe   who  profefs   fctence,   and  they 
give  him  the  interpretation  of  the  fign/'  p.  135. 

The  reafon  for  thefe  obfervances  is  to  be  looked 
for  in  the  ideas  which  the  ancients  in  general  had 
of  the  interference  of  fuperior  beings  in  the  ufual 
courfe  of  nature.  Hence  it  was  confidered  as  a 
book,  in  which  they  thought  they  could  read  their 

inclinations. 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      241 

inclinations  and  defigns.  Hence  they  regarded  a 
thoufand  different  phenomena,  fuchas  the -quiver- 
ing of  leaves,  the  crackling  and  colour  of  flanaes, 
the  fall  of  thunderbolts,  the  flight  or  Tinging  of 
birds,  men's  involuntary  motions,  their  dreams, 
the  motion  of  the  pulfe,  &c.  as  intimations  which 
the  gods  gave  to  wife  men  of  their  will.  Hence 
came  oracles,  divinations,  aufpices,  prefages  and 
lots,  in  a  word  all  that  rubbifh  of  dark  fuperfli- 
tions  called  at  one  time  religion,  and  at  another 
Magic.  (Northern  Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  no.) 

Herodotus  fays  the  Egyptians  had  more  pro- 
digies than  other  people,  and  that  they  afcribed 
the  art  of  divination  to  no  mortal,  but  only  to  the 
gods,  lib.  2,  fee.  82,  83. 

In  theinfiitutions  of  the  Hebrews  we  find  noth- 
ing of  this  kind,  but  on  the'contrary  they  are 
treated  with  deferved  contempt,  as  they  were  ob~ 
ferved  by  the  heathen  nations  in  their  neighbour- 
hood. And  what  could  Mofes  know  more  than 
the  Egyptians,  or  the  Hindoos,  whofe  fupeiior 
knowledge  in  other  refpeds  is  unquefiioned  ?  The 
Hindoos,  irom  about  the  time  of  Mofes,  could 
calculate  eclipfes,  and  had  attained  the  rudiments 
of  other  branches  of  knowledge,  which  made 
them  be  looked  up  to  by  all  nations  who  were 
acquainted  with  them  with  the  greateft  veneration  $ 
and  we  ars  even  now  aftonifhsd  at  their  attain* 

f 


242  The  Iri/litutions  of  Mofcs  and 

ments  in  fo  early  a  period,  while  the  Ifraelites 
were  not,  in  the  time  of  Mofes,  diftinguifhed  for 
knowledge  of  any  kind.  Whence  then  came  their 
fuperior  good  fenfe  with  refpecl;  to  their  religious 
inftitutions  ?  The  religion  of  the  wifer  nation  we 
fee  to  be  abfurd  in  the  extreme,  while  that  of  the 
rude  and  ignorant  appears  truly  admirable  at  this 
day ;  and  the  more  it  is  ftudied  in  this  advanced 
age  of  the  world,  to  the  more  advantage,  I  am 
confident,  it  will  appear,  efpecially  when  compar- 
ed with  fyftems  of  equal  antiquity  in  the  fame  part 
of  the  world. 


SECTION     XX. 

Of  Trial  by    Ordeal 

WHEN  nothing  ferious  in  the  conduct  of 
life  depends  upon  erroneous  opinions,  we 
may  fmile  at  them,  or  when  in  confequence  of 
them  perfons  only  give  themfelves  needlefs  trouble. 
But  when  their  conduct  towards  others,  in  civil 
and  even  in  criminal  cafes,  is  influenced  by  abfurd 
notions,  it  is  not  a  little  alarming ;  and  the  hiflo- 
ry  of  all  countries,  efpecially  ancient  ones,  fhews 

of 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.      243 

of  what  importance  it  is  to  form  a  juft  judgment 
with  refpeft  to  things  which  at  fir  ft  fight  feem  to 
bear  no  relation  to  pra&ice.  A  fuperflitious  re- 
fpeft  for  the  elements  of  fire  and  water  feems  at  firfl 
perfectly  harmlefs,  and  while  it  only  leads  perfons 
to  bathe  more  than  we  think  neceffary,  or  with 
much  trouble  and  expence  keep  up  a  fire  for  which 
we  fee  no  ule,  we  arc  amufed  with  them.  But 
when  we  find  that  the  fame  ideas  which  led  to 
thefe  harmlefs  thof  troublefome  practices,  led  like- 
wife  to  the  drowning  and  burning  alive  of  innocent 
perfons,  we  find  that  they  deferve  a  ferious  exami- 
nation. 

From  a  veneration  for  the  elements  of  fire  and 
water,  and  an  opinion  of  there  being  fomething  of 
divinity  in  them,  or  attending  them,  they  have 
been  deemed  proper  tefts  of  guilt  or  innocence. 
Neither  fire  nor  water,  it  was  thought,  would  hurt 
an  innocent  perfon,  when  appealed  to  as  an  evi- 
dence of  guilt  or  innocence  ;  and  hence  have  come 
the  various  modes  of  trial  which  have  obtained  the 
appellation  of  ordeals,  not  only  in  cafes  in  which 
credible  teftimony  could  not  be  procured,  but  even 
where  it  could ;  the  judgment  of  thefe  divinities  be- 
ing thought  more  fafe  than  that  of  any  man. 

We  now  fee  the  abfurdity  and  mifchievous  con- 
fequences  of  this  pra&ice;  but  the  experience  of 
ages  has  not  yet  convinced  the  Hindoos  of  it,  and 

trial 


244  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

trial  by  ordeal  is  as  much  in  ufe  among  them  as 
ever.  In  the  preface  to  the  Code  of  Gentoo  laws 
it  is  faid  that  the  trial  by  ordeal  is  one  of  the  moft 
ancient  for  the  diftinguifhing  criterion  of  guilt  and 
innocence.  The  modes  of  it  in  Indoftan  are  va- 
rious, according  to  the  choice  of  the  parties,  or  the 
nature  of  the  accufation,  but  the  infallibility  of  the 
refult  is  to  this  day  as  implicitly  believed  as  it 
Could  have  been  in  the  darkeflages  of  antiquity. 

In  the  AJiatic  Refcarches  there  is  a  curious  tract 
on  the  trial  by  ordeal,  written  by  the  chief  magif- 
trate  of  Benares,  from  which  we  learn,  that  there 
are  nine  modes  of  ordeal  allowed  by  the  Hindoo 
laws  ;  and  from  considering  them  it  will  appear  that 
there  are  only  one  or  two  of  them  in  which  an  in- 
nocent perfon  can  have  an  equal  chance  of  being 
acquitted.  According  to  the  firfl  of  thefe  modes 
the  perfon  accufed  is,  after  many  ceremonies,  too 
tedious  to  recite  here,  weighed,  and  then,  his  accu- 
fation in  writing  being  put  upon  his  head,  he  is 
weighed  again  fix  minutes  after  ;  when,  if  he  weigh 
any  thing  more  he  is  deemed  guilty,  if  lefs  inno- 
cent. ( Differtations  relating  to  Afia,  vol.  2,  p.  77.) 
In  this  cafe  much  will  depend  upon  the  weight  of 
the  paper  containing  the  accufation,  and  the  reft 
on  his  habit  with  refpeft  to  perfpiration.  A  perfon 
dropfically  inclined  would  fland  a  very  poor 
chance. 

In 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

In  another  of  the  modes  of  ordeal  the  accufed 
perfon  is  made  to  drink  of  water  in  which  certain 
images  have  been  warned ;  when,  if  he  have  any 
fickncfs  within  fourteen  days  his  crime  is  confidered 
as  proved,  p.  79.  In  this  cafe  the  chance  of  ac- 
auittal  is  at  Jeaft  equal  to  that  of  condemnation  if 
the  perfon's  health  was  good. 

All  the  other  modes  are  by  water,  fire,  or  poifon, 
in  fuch  a  manner  as  that  an  innocent  perfon  has 
but  little  chance  of  efcaping  unhurt ;  and  yet  one 
of  their  infpired  legiflators  fays,  that  tho'  the  theft 
or  fraud  could  be  proved  by  witnefies,  the  party 
accufed  may  be  tried  by  ordeal,  ib.  p.  82.  And 
it  is  pofitively  declared  in  the  Dhcrma  Sajira,  and 
in  the  written  opinions  of  the  mofl  refpe&able 
pundits,  that  "  the  hand  of  a  man  who  fpeaks 
truth  cannot  be  burned,"  ib.  p.  88. 

The  Inflitutes  of  Menu  give  their  full  fan&ion 
to  this  mode  of  trial.  "He  whom  the  blazing  fire 
burns  not,  whom  water  foon  forces  not  up,  *  and 
who  meets  with  no  fpeedy  misfortune,  muft  be  held 
veracious  in  his  teftimony  on  earth."  p.  204,  Of 
this  an  example  is  given,  <c  Of  the  fage  Vatfa, 
whom  a  younger  brother  formerly  attacked,  as  the 

fon 

*  We  fee  here  the  great  antiquity  of  trying  witches 
by  throwing  them  into  water,  when  it  was  fuppofed 
that  if  they  could  not  fink  they  were  guilty. 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

fon  of  a  fervile  woman,  the  fire  which  pervaded 
the  world  burned  not  a  hair,  by  reafon  of  his  per- 
fect veracity/'  ib. 

The  tranflator  of  the  Hitopades,  after  obferving 
that  a  woman  accufed  of  infidelity  to  her  hulband 
is  required  to  plunge  her  hand  into  a  veffel  of  hot 
water,  oil,  or  melted  lead,  and  that  if  me  be  injur- 
ed by  it  fhe  muflbe  condemned,  p.  183,  mentions 
as  a  thing  of  the  fame  nature,  the  proof  of  adultery 
prefcribed  in  the  laws  of  Mofes,  Num.  xviii  ad- 
ding, "  thefe  modes  of  trial  have  been  one  of  the 
firft  articles  of  the  jurifprudence  of  people  half  ci- 
vilized/' p.  185.  But  let  the  two  cafes  be  com- 
pared. As  Mr.  Langles  has  not  done  this,  I  mall 
endeavour  to  draw  the  comparifon  myfelf. 

This  was  the  only  cafe  in  which  any  fuch  mode 
of  trial  was  had  recourfe  to  in  the  Hebrew  fyftem, 
and  this  was  a  cafe  in  which  no  evidence  could  be 
had,  the  hulband  being  only  able  to  allege  his 
fufpicions ;  and  all  that  the  accufed  wife  had  to  fear 
was  a  real  interpofition  of  providence  againil  her. 
She  had  nothing  to  apprehend  from  boiling  water, 
hot  oil,  or  melted  lead,  being  only  required  to 
drink  a  little  water  containing  fome  duft  from  the 
place  in  which  fhe  Rood,  which  the  prieft  took  up 
in  her  prefence,  and  that  of  her  friends;  and  the 
prieft  may  be  fuppofed  to  have  had  no  intereft  to 
ierve  by  favouring  either  of  the  parties. 

All 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

All  the  objection  that  can  be  made  to  the  pro- 
ceeding  in  thefe  circumftances  is  that  the  woman's 
cfcaping  unhurt  was  no  proof  of  her  innocence.  But 
why  fhould  any  perfon  fuffer  againft  whom  there 
was  no  evidence  of  guilt  ?  In  the  Hindoo  ordeal 
nothing  but  a  miracle  could  favc  the  accufed,  in 
this  nothing  but  a  miracle  could  injure  her.  Vio- 
lent and  unreafonable  jealoufy  is  very  common  in 
the  Eaft ;  and  fuch  a  method  as  this  of  quieting  the 
mind  of  the  fufpicious  hufband  might  be  of  great 
ufe.  Befides,  this  cafe  of  ordeal  was  of  a  piece 
with  the  general  plan  of  the  Hebrew  government, 
as  it  was  immediately  fuperintended  by  God  him- 
felf,  and  his  interpofition  promifed  in  many  more 
cafes  than  this. 


SECTION       XXL 

Of  various  Kinds  of  Superflition, 

TH  E    trial  by  ordeal  is  not  the  only  cafe   of 
fuperflition  relating  to  courts    of  juftice  in 
the  Hindoo  fyftem.     The  following  among  many 
others  are  deferving  of  notice. 

An  evidence  in  a  court  of  juftice,  fay  the  Gen- 
too  laws,  pt  112,  muft  turn  his  face  towards  the 

Eaft, 


24&  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

Eaft,  or  North  quarter.     The  fame  is  required  in 
the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  200. 

The  rules  for  eft i  mating  the  degrees  of  guilt  in- 
curred by  giving  falfe  evidence  in  different  cafes 
are  not  a  little  curious.  "  Hear,  honcft  man/' 
fay  the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  202,  "from  a  juft 
enumeration,  in  order,  how  many  kinfmen  in  evi- 
dence of  different  forts  a  falfe  witnefs  kills,  or 
incurs  the  guilt  of  killing.  He  kills  five  by  falfe 
tcftimony  concerning  cattle  in,  general,  ten  con- 
cerning kine,  a  hundred  concerhing  horfes,  and  a 
thoufand  by  falfe  evidence  concerning  the  human 
race.  By  fpeaking  falfely  in  a  caufe  concerning 
gold  he  kills  the  born  and  the  unborn.  By  fpeak- 
ing falfely  concerning  land  he  kills  every  thing 
animated.  Beware  then  of  fpeaking  falfely  in  a 
caufe  concerning  land.  The  fages  have  held  falfe 
evidence  concerning  water,  and  the  poffcflion  and 
enjoyment  of  women,  equal  to  falfe  evidence  con- 
cerning land ;  and  it  is  equally  criminal  in  caufes 
concerning  pearls,  and  other  precious  things  form- 
ed in  water,  and  concerning  all  things  made  of 
ftone." 

The  penalty  incurred  by  a  falfe  oath  in  cafe  of 
a  land  mark  is  fingular.  "  Let  him  be  fworn,"  fay 
the  Inftitutes  of  Menu,  "  by  the  reward  of  all  his 
good  actions,"  p.  222. 

There  are  cafes,  however,   in  which  falfe  tefti- 

mony 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoo^  (3c.  compared.      249 

y  even  in  a  court  of  juflice,  is  not  cenfured. 
"  In  fome  cafes,"  fay  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  p. 
202.  "  a  giver  of  falfe  evidence  from  a  pious  mo- 
tive, even  tho'  he  know  the  truth,  mall  not  lofe  a 
feat  in  heaven.  Such  evidence  wife  men  call  the 
fpccch  of  gods.  Whenever  tha  death  of  a  man 
would  be  occasioned  by  true  evidence,  falfehood 
may  be  fpoken.  It  is  even  preferable  to  truth. 
Such  witnefifes  muft  offer  as  oblations  to  Sara- 
fwati,  cakes  of  rice  and  milk,  addreffbd  to  the  god- 
defs  of  fpeech;  and  thus  will  they  expiate  the 
venial  fin  of  benevolent  falfehood.  Or  fuch  a  wit- 
nefs  may  pour  clarified  butter  into  holy  fire,  ac- 
cording to  the  facred  rule,  hallowing  it  with  the 
texts  called  cifimanda,  or  with  thofe  which  relate 
to  Varuna,  beginning  with  ud,  or  the  three  texts 
appropriated  to  the  water  gods,"  p.  203. 

This  fpeech  of  the  gods  farther  fays,  p.  204. 
"  To  women  at  a  time  of  dalliance,  or  on  a  propo- 
fitl  of  marriage,  in  the  cafe  of  grafs  or  fruit  eaten  by 
a  covv,  of  wood  taken  for  a  facrifice,  or  of  a  pro* 
rnife  made  for  the  prefervation  of  a  bramin,  it  is 
no  deadly  fin  to  take  alight  oath,"  But  what  will 
the  women  fay  to  this.  It  was  fair,  however,  to 
apprize  them  of  it,  if  indee'd  this  be  the  cafe;  for 
little  care  is  taken  of  their  inftrudion. 

The  Hindoos  have  many  fuperftitious  obfervan- 
ces  on  the  birth  of  a  child.  "  Before  the  feclion 

G  g  rf 


250  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

of  the  navel  firing  a  ceremony  is  ordained  on  th« 
birth  of  a  male.     He  muft  be  made,   while  facred 
texts  are  pronounced,  to  tafte  a   little  honey,  and 
clarified  butter  from  a  golden  fpoon."   (Inflitutes  of 
Menu,  p.  20.)     "  In  the  fourth  month  the  child 
imift  be  carried  out  of  the  houfe    to  fee  the  fun. 
In  the  fixth  month  he  mould  be  fed  with  rice,    or 
that  may  be  done  which  by  the  cuftom  of  the  family 
is  thought  mod  propitious,"  p.  21. 

According  to  the  Hindoos,  the  birth  of  a  child 
has  many  very  ferious  confequences  with  refpeft  to 
the  father,  which  I  own  I  do  not  unclerfland. 
"  The  hufband  after  conception  by  his  wife,"  fay 
the  Inflitutes  of  Menu,  p.  246,  "  becomes  him- 
felf  an  embryo,  and  is  born  a  fecond  time  here  be- 
low, for  which  reafon  the  wife  is  called  jaya,  fincc 
by  her  (jay ate)  he  is  born  again.  By  the  eldeft  fon, 
at  the  moment  of  his  birth,  the  father,  having  be- 
gotten a  fon,  difcharges  his  debt  to  his  progenitors. 
The  eldeft  fon,  therefore,  ought  to  manage  the 
whole  patrimony.  That  fon  alone  by  whofe  birth 
he  difcharges  his  debt,  and  thro'  whom  he  attains 
immortality,  was  begotten  from  a  fenfe  of  duty. 
All  the  reft  are  confidered  by  the  wife  as  begotten 
from  a  love  of  pleafure,"  p.  258.  Some,  however, 
may  think  that  this  motive  was  as  ftrong  in  the 
firfl  inftance  as  afterwards. 

But  the  advantage  of  having  a  fon  is  greater  than 

has 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       251 

has  yet  been  intimated.  "  By  a  fon  a  man  obtains 
victory  over  all  people.  By  a  fon's  fon  he  enjoys 
immortality,  and  afterwards  by  a  fon  of  that  grand- 
fon  he  reaches  the  folar  abode.  Since  the  fork  de- 
livers the  father  from  the  hell  named  put,  he  was 
therefore  called  puttra  by  Brahma  himfelf,  p.  363. 
Between  the  fon,  of  his  fon  and  the  fon  of  his 
daughter  there  fubfifts  in  this  world  no  difference ; 
for  even  the  fon  of  a  daughter  delivers  him  in  the 
next  world,  like  the  fon  of  his  fon,"  ib. 

The  advantage  of  having  children  with  refpecl 
to  a  future  ftate  is  likewife  declared  in  the  follow- 
ing paffage  of  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu.  "  By  ftudy- 
ing  the  Veda,  by  religious  obfervances,  by  obla- 
tions to  fire,  by  the  ceremony  of  traividia,  by  of- 
ferings to  the  gods,  and  manes,  by  the  procreati- 
on of  children,  by  the  five  great  facraments,  and 
by  folemn  facrifices,  this  human  body  is  rendered 
fit  for  a  divine  flate,"  p.  20. 

The  Parfi's  alfo  think  marriage  conducive  to  fu- 
ture happinefs,  and  if  the  fon  or  daughter  of  a  rich 
man  die  before  they  are  married,  fome  perfon  is 
hired  to  marry  them  after  they  are  dead,  (Univcr- 
Jal  Hiftory,  vol.  6,  p.  286.) 

The  following  is  a  fingular  kind  of  Hindoo  fu- 
perftition  mentioned  by  Mr.  Holwell.  "  The 
Gentoos/'  he  fays,  "  have  a  fuperftitious  venerati- 
on for  the  numerals  one  and  three,  A  Gentoo  never 

gives 


The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

gives  or  receives  an  obligation  for  an  even  fum.  If 
he.  borrow  or  lend  a  hundred,  or  a  thoufand  rupees, 
the  obligation  runs  for  an  hundred  and  one,  a  thou- 
fand and  one,"  &c.  vol.  2,  p.  121. 

In  this  fetHon  of  mifcellaneous  fuperftition?, 
I  would  obferve  that,  like  the  ancient  Egyptians, 
the  Chinefe  and  the  Hindoos,  have  an  abhor- 
rence of  red  objects.  This  the  Hindoos  cany  fo  far 
that  when  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu  allow  a  bramin 
to  trade,  if  he  cannot  otherwife  fupport  life,  he  is 
abfolutely  forbidden  to  traffic  in  any  fort  of  red 
cloth,  whether  linen  or  wollen,  or  made  of  woven 
bark.  (DiJJert aliens  relating  to  AJia,  vol.  i,  p.  229.) 
P.  Valle  with  fome  probability  afcribes  this  aver- 
fion  to  red  colours  to  their  abhorrence  of  blood, 
ib.  p.  44, 

The  Egyptians,  Plutarch  fays,  do  not  care  to 
meet,  or  to  converfe  with,  men  who  have  red  hair, 
becaufe  they  fay  Typhon  was  born  of  that  colour. 
They  think  Ofiris  was  black  when  he  was  born,  and 
the  bull  Mnevis,  which  is  kept  at  Heliopolis,  and 
is  facredto  Ofiris,  and  faid  by  fome  to  be  the  fire 
of  Apis,  is  of  a  coal  black  colour.  They  facri- 
fice,  he  fays,  to  Typhon  animals  of  a  red  colour ; 
and  if  they  had  a  fingle  hair  black  or  white  they 
were  deemed  unfit  for  that  purpofe.-  For  their  max- 
im, he  fays,  is  that  the  animal  facrificed  muft  not 
be  one  that  is  agreeable,  but  one  that  is  difagreea- 

ble 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      253 

ble  to  the  god,  fuch  as  contained  the  fouls  of  un- 
godly and      eked  men.     (De  IJide  et  OJlride.) 

1  ihall  dole  this  feftion  with  an  account  of  fome 
curious  fuperilitions  of  ancient  heathen  nations, 
efpecially  fuch  as  relate  to  religion,  collected 
from  the  writings  of  Plutarch ;  and  they  are  but  a 
fmall  fpecimen  of  what  might  be  collected  from 
the  beft  authorities  :  Let  unbelievers  look  for  any 
thing  of  this  nature  in  the  writings  of  Mofes, 
Whatever  the  Hebrews  had  of  this  kind,  it  was 
borrowed  from  their  wife  neighbours. 

When  the  Egyptians  facrifice  to  the  fun  they  do 
not  wear  gold,  or  give  food  to  an  afs.  (De  IJide, 
Z3c.)  At  Rhodes  the  cryer  never  enters  the  temple, 
or  tomb  of  Ocridion.  (Greek  Quejlions)  At  Te- 
nedos  a  piper  muft  not  go  into  the  the  temple  of 
Tenes,  and  Achilles  muft  not  be  mentioned  in  that 
temple,  ib.  The  Tufcans,  and  alfo  Pythagoras, 
obferved  when  they  were  rifen  to  ruffle  the  bed 
clothes  ;  they  were  not  to  leave  the  print  of  a  pot 
in  the  afhes,  they  received  no  fwallow  into  the 
houfe,  never  ftepped  over  a  befom,  or  kept  in  their 
houfes  animals  that  had  hooked  claws,  (Sympofi- 
&cs.) 

At  a  horfe  race  on  the  ides  of  December  at  Rome, 
the  horfe  that  won  was  facrificed  to   Mars.     The 
tail  was  brought  to  a  place  called  Regina,   and  the 
altar  bcfmeared  with  the  blood  of  it,  but  two  com- 
panies, 


254  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

panics,  one  going  down  the  Via  Sacra,  and  the  o« 
ther  down  Saburra,  fought  for  the  head.  The  Fla- 
men  Dialis  was  not  allowed  to  touch  meal,  or  lea- 
Ven,  or  raw  flefh,  or  ivy.  A  Roman  prieft  was 
not  allowed  to  touch,  or  to  name,  a  dog,  or  a  goat. 
ib.  The  Roman  priefts  who  had  fores  about  them 
were  forbidden  to  ufe  divination,  ib.  He  fays  the 
Latins  worfhipped  the  woodpecker,  and  ftri&ly  ab- 
ftained  from  that  bird.  They  would  not  allow 
their  children  to  fwear  by  Hercules  within  doors, 
but  made  them  go  out  of  doors  to  do  it.  The  days 
after  the  Calends,  Nones,  and  Ides,  of  any  month 
were  deemed  unfit  to  take  a  journey  in.  They 
did  not  allow  a  new  married  woman  to  flep  over 
the  threfhold  of  the  houfe,  but  the  bridefmen  lifted 
her  over  it.  The  Romans  did  not  fuffer  the  table 
to  be  quite  cleared  before  it  was  taken  away,  but 
always  left  fome  victuals  upon  it.  (Roman  Quejli- 
ons.) 

To  thefe  from  Plutarch  I  fhall  only  add  the  fol- 
lowing. In  May  the  Romans  celebrated  the  fefli- 
val  of  the  Lemures,  or  ghofts  of  the  dead,  and 
then  the  temples  were  fhut,  and  marriages  intermit- 
ted, as  fatal.  (Annual  Rcgijlcr,  for  1761.  p.  169.) 

SECTION 


TJiofc  of  the  Hindoos,   &?c,  compared,.       355 


SECTION     XXII. 

Of  the  Devotion  of  the  Modern  Jews, 

TH  E  Jews,  in  their  intercourfe  with  various 
nations,  have  got  much  of  the  falfe  philo- 
fophy  and  fuperflition  which  has  prevailed  in  all 
ages,  and  in  every  part  of  the  world  ;  which  fhews 
that,  if  left  to  themfelves,  they  would  have  had  as 
much  of  it  as  any  other  people.  But  not  only 
are  their  facred  books  free  from  every  thing  of  the 
kind,  but  their  modern  liturgies,  and  all  their  forms 
of  prayer.  They  coniifl  chiefly  of  the  pfalms,  and 
of  compofitions  on  the  fame  model,  which  breathe 
a  fpirit  of  pure  and  rational  devotion,  expreffing 
the  greatefl  veneration  for  the  divine  attributes  and 
government,  gratitude  for  the  mercies  of  God,  fup- 
plication  for  his  favour,  and  fubmiffion  to  his  will, 
with  refpect  to  all  the  events  of  life.  • 

In  the  daily  habits  and  practices  of  the  Jews, 
there  is,  no  doubt,  much  of  real  fuperflition  ;  but 
it  is  not  of  the  fame  kind  with  that  of  the  heathens, 
as  it  has  no  immoral  tendency.  They  are  trifling 
obfervances,  fuch  as  our  Saviour  animadverted 
upon,  too  apt  to  fupply  the  place  offolid  virtue, 
but  not  neceflarily  having  this  effect.  In  excufe 

for 


256  The  Injtitutions  of  Mofes  and 

for  them  they  fay,  that  the  external  a&ions  ferve 
to  remind  them  of  fomething  relating  to  what  is 
internal,  as  bathing  to  moral  purity,  &c.  And  if 
they  pay  any  attention  to  the  meaning  of  the  words 
in  their  many  forms,  they  muft  ferve  to  keep  up 
an  attention  to  the  Divine  Being  and  his  provi- 
dence, and  thereby  greatly  promote  habitual  devo- 
tion. They  muft  lead  them  to  acknowledge  God  in 
all  their  ways,  reminding  them  of  their  conftant 
dependance  upon  him  and  obligation  to  him. 
From  their  rifing  in  the  morning  to  their  going  to 
fleep,  God  muft  be  in  all  their  thoughts  ;  the  firft 
and  the  laft  thing  that  is  in  their  mouths,  and  it 
may  be  hoped  in  their  minds,  being  prayers  or  ra- 
ther bencdiclions,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  good- 
nefs  of  God,  and  recommending  themfelves,  and 
their  nation,  to  his  favour. 

I  mail  juft  mention  a  few  of  their  forms.  As 
foon  as  they  rife  in  the  morning  they  fay,  Bkjfed 
It  thou,  0  Lord,  our  God,  king  of  the  world,  who 
give/I  life  to  the  dead,  who  givejl  Jight  to  the  blind, 
&c.  When  they  warn  before  prayer,  or  in  obe- 
dience to  any  particular  precept,  they  fay,  Elejfed 
be  thou  0  Lord  our  God,  king  of  the  world,  who 
fanSifieft  us  by  thy  prccefts,  and  hajl  commanded  us 
to  wqfli,  &c. 

If  fo  many  as  ten  Jews  live  in  the   fame  place, 
they  do  not  content  themfelves  with  their  private 

devotions, 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       257 

devotions,  but  refort  to  their  fynagogue,  or  public 
fchool,  three  times  a  day ;  and  it  is  a  rule  with 
them  to  fpeak  of  no  bufinefs,  to  pay  no  vifit,  or 
even  falute  any  perfon,  till  they  have  difcharged 
this  duty  to  God  in  the  morning  of  every  day.  It 
ten  be  prefent,  one  of  them  reads  the  forms  aloud, 
and  the  reft  fay  amen  to  each. 

At  every  action  that  they  perform,  whether  they 
eat  or  drink,  if  they  even  fmell  any  fweet  odour, 
when  they  hear  any  precept  of  their  law,  or  fee 
any  thing  new  and  extraordinary,  they  pronounce 
an  appropriated  form  of  benediction.  At  every 
regular  meal,  the  mafter  of  the  houfe  begins  with 
repeating  the  22d.  pfalm.  The  Lord  is  my  fhep- 
herd,  I  fliall  not  want,  6?c.  When  he  firil  takes 
the  bread,  he  fays,  Bkjfed  be  thou,  0  Lord,  king 
of  the  world  who  bringejl  food  cut  of  the  earth, 
when  he  takes  the  wine,  he  fays,  Bleffed  be  then, 
0  Lord,  king  of  the  world  who  hajl  created  the  fruit 
of  the  vine.  When  he  takes  fruit  of  any  kind,  he 
fays,  Bleffed  be  thou,  0  Lord,  &c.  who  haft  created 
the  fruit  of  the  tree.  In  fliort,  they  think  it  in- 
gratitude to  enjoy,  or  make  ufe  of,  any  thing  with- 
out acknowledging,  in  fome  fiiort  form  of  thankf- 
giving,  that  they  receive  it  from  God,  the  Lord  of 
all.  At  the  clofe  of  every  meal,  they  ufe  a  longer 
form  of  thankfgiving,  praying  at  the  fame  time  that 
God  would  have  mercy  upon  Jerufalem,  reftore 

H  h  the 


258  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

the  temple,   and  fet  up  the  kingdom  of  David  in 
their  time. 

The  methods  they  take  to  infpire,  and  keep  up, 
a  reverence  for  the  fcriptures  are  very  effe&ual. 
The  Pentateuch  is  written  in  fair  and  large  charac- 
ters on  a  roll  of  parchment,  fitted  up  in  the  moil 
ornamental  manner.  It  is  put  into  a  bag  of  filk  cu- 
rioufly  wrought,  prefervedin  a  place  of  the  fyna- 
gogue  fet  apart  for  the  purpofe,  richly  ornamented. 
When  it  is  brought  out,  or  carried  back,  it  is  done 
with  great  ceremony,  and  the  children  in  the  place 
are  permitted  to  put  their  hands  upon  it ;  Sec. 
This  lias  the  appearance  of  fuperftition,  but  the 
tendency  and  efrecfc  of  it  is  to  infpire  an  uncom- 
mon reverence  for  the  book,  and  the  law  that  it 
contains.  They  divide  it  into  fifty  two  parts,  and 
read  one  of  them  every  fabbath,  fo  as  to  go  thro' 
the  whole  every  year.  At  the  fame  time  they  read 
certain  portions  of  the  writings  of  the  prophets, 
and  other  canonical  books.  As  foon  as  a  child  can 
fpeak,  he  is  taught  to  read  the  fcriptures  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  country  in  which  they  live,  and  they 
are  taught  the  expofition  of  it,  and  the  doQrine  of 
their  rabbins,  as  foon  as  they  are  capable  of  it. 
They  are  alfo  taught  the  Hebrew  language  if  they 
learn  any  thing  more  than  the  firil  rudiments  of 
education. 

Their  observances  with  refpcft  to  the  fabbath, 

and 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       259 

and  other  feftivals,  &c.  are,  in  many  refpefts,  trif- 
ling; but  they  are  innocent,  and  the  tendency  of 
them  all  is  to  raife  the  thoughts  to  God,  to  remind 
them  of  his  law,  and  his  moral  government,  and 
efpecially  to  keep  up  their  faith  in  his  promifes, 
that  he  would  reflore  them  to  his  favour,  and  fpee- 
dily  fend  the  Meffiah  for  their  deliverance.  All 
their  devotions  have  no  other  object  than  the  one 
true  God,  the  creator  and  preferver  of  all  things. 
They  worfhip  no  angels,  demons,  or  dead  men. 
They  confider  it  as  a  heinous  fin  to  believe  in,  or 
to  practice,  any  kind  of  divination,  as  aflrolo- 
gy,  geomancy,  chiromancy,  &c.  but  more  efpe- 
cially necromancy,  magic,  or  charms  of  any  kind. 

The  Jews  diflinguifh  themfelves  by  their  chari- 
ty to  the  poor,  even  thofe  of  other  nations ;  and 
alfo  by  their  tcndernefs  for  animals.  They  never 
torture  or  abufe  any  of  them ;  and  when  they  kill 
any  of  them  for  food,  they  do  it  fo  as  to  put  them 
to  the  leaft  pain,  confideringthem  as  the  creatures 
of  God,  whofe  tender  mercies  arc  over  all  his 
•worAs. 

This  account  is  taken  from  Euxtorfs  Synagoga 
Judaica,  and  Leo  de  Modena,  on  the  Ceremonies  of 
the  Jews.  The  object  of  Buxtorf  evidently  was 
to  expofe  the  Jews  to  the  contempt  of  chriftians, 
and  he  omits  no  opportunity  of  making  reflexions 
.which  have  that  tendency,  difcovering  an  iiJiberali- 


a6o  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ty  and  malignity  unworthy  of  a  chriftian  ;  feut 
not  with  (landing  this,  the  perufal  of  his  book  has, 
in  my  opinion,  a  tendency  to  infpire  all  candid 
perfons  with  a  refpecl  for  the  Jews,  and  mews  the 
great  fuperiority  of  their  religion,  and  cuftoms,  to 
thofe  of  any  heathen  nation.  Befides,  the  things 
that  he  turns  into  ridicule  are  their  traditions, 
which  are  not  regarded  by  the  Karaites,  who,  tho' 
not  the  mod  numerous,  are,  however,  a  pretty 
confiderable  body  of  Jews. 


SECTION    XXIII. 

Of  the  Hindoo  bottrine  of  a  future  State. 


nr^HE  moft  important;  article  in  any  religion  is, 
-*•  no  doubt,  its  doctrine  concerning  a  future 
Jlate,  as  a  motive  to  the  proper  difcharge  of  the  du- 
ties of  life,  and  a  fupport  under  the  troubles  of  it. 
In  this  refpecl,  as  well  as  with  regard  to  the  doc- 
trine of  one  Supreme  God,  from  whom  all  the  in- 
ferior deities,  and  the  whole  univerfe,  was  derived, 
the  fyftem  of  the  Hindoos  has  the  advantage  over 
that  of  any  other  ancient  heathen  nation.  They 
almofl  all  loft  fight  of  the  former  great  principle, 
and  retained  nothing  of  the  latter  that  could  have 

much 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.       261 

xnuch  influence  on  their  conduct.  Whereas  we 
fee,  ip  fad,  that  the  Hindoo  doftrine  of  a  future 
Jlate,  whimfical  and  arbitrary  as  it  is,  has,  never* 
thelefs,  an  unqueftionable  influence  on  their  con- 
duel: ;  leading  them  to  overlook  all  that  they  can 
fufferin  this  life,  with  a  view  to  the  bettering  of 
their  condition  in  a  future  one. 

But  it  does  not  appear  that  either  this  or  any  o- 
ther  part  of  thefyftem  was  ever  promulgated  with 
the  appearance  of  proper  authority  ;  fince  no  mira- 
cles, as  far  as  we  can  find,  were  ever  appealed  to, 
as  proofs  that  the  perfon  who  taught  it  received  k 
from  God,  and  was  by  him  commiffioned  to  impart 
it  to  men.  And  nothing  can  be  more  deftitute  of 
natural  probability  than  it  is.  It  goes  entirely  on 
the  arbitrary  fuppoiiticn,  not  only  that  men  have 
fouls  dillinCfc  from  their  bodies,  capable  of  aftion 
and  enjoyment  independently  of  them,  but  that 
they  all  exifted  in  a.  prior  ftate,  and  are  deflined, 
after  a  courfe  of  purgation  here,  to  rife  to  their 
priftine  condition,  and  finally  to  be  reunited  to  the 
fupreme  mind,  from  which  they  and  all  other  be- 
ings fprung. 

I  need  not  at  this  day,  and  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  enter  into  argument  to  fhew  the  futility  of 
this  fyflem,  how  deftitute  it  is  of  all  probability, 
not  being  countenanced  by  any  appearance  in  na- 
ture. The  whole  mufl  have  been  the  producl;  not 

only 


262  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

only  of  mere  imagination,  but  of  a  very  fportive 
one,  as  will  be  fufficiently  evident  when  I  come  to 
bring  into  view  the  particulars  of  which  it  confifts, 
as,  in  order  to  give  a  juft  view  of  the  fyftem,  it  will 
be  neceffary  for  me  to  do. 

That  particular  defects  of  body,  with  which  fome 
perfons  are  born,  are  coniidered  as  punifhments  for 
offences  in  a  prior  ftate,  is  evident  from  the  follow- 
ing pafTage  in  the  Inflitutes  of  Menu.  "  Some 
evil  minded  perfons  for  fins  committed  in  this  life, 
and  fome  for  bad  actions  in  a  preceding  ftate,  fuf- 
fer  a  morbid  change  in  their  bodies.  A  ftealer  of 
gold  from  a  bramin  has  a  whitlow  on  his  nails,  a 
drinker  of  fpirits  black  teeth,  the  flayer  of  a  bra- 
min a  marafmus,  the  violator  of  his  guru's  bed  a 
deformity  in  the  generative  organs ;  a  malignant  in- 
former has  fetid  ulcers  in  his  noilrils,  a  falfe  de- 
tracler  (linking  breath,  a  ftealer  of  grain  the  defect 
of  fome  limb,  a  mixer  of  bad  wares  with  good 
fome  redundant  member.  A  ftealer  of  dreffed 
grain  has  a  dyfpepjia,  a  ftealer  of  holy  words,  or  an 
unauthorized  reader  of  the  fcriptures  dumbnefs,  a 
ftealer  of  clothes  leprofy,  a  horfe  ftealer  lame- 
nefs,  the  ftealer  of  a  lamp  total  blindnefs,  the  mif- 
chievous  extinguifher  of  it,  blindnefs  in  one  eye, 
a  delighter  in  hurting  fentient  creatures  perpetual 
illnefs,  an  adulterer  windy  fwellings  in  his  limbs. 
Thus,  according  to  the  diverfity  of  actions,  are 

born 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared. 

born  men  defpifed  by  the  good,  ftupid,  dumb, 
blind,  deaf  and  deformed,  p.  313.  To  a  man  pu- 
niflisd  for  pad  crimes  by  being  bora  without  a  pre- 
puce, let  a  man  never  give  food  at  the  facred  obfe- 
quies,"  p.  71. 

As  the  Hindoos  fuppofe  all  matter  to  be  ani- 
mated, even  plants,  as  well  as  animals,  they  fup- 
pofe them  to  be  capable  of  recovering  their  for- 
mer happy  flate.  "  Graminous  plants,  cattle,  tim- 
ber trees,  amphibious  animals,  and  birds  which 
have  been  deftroyed  for  the  purpofe  of  facrifice,  at- 
tain in  the  next  world  exalted  births,"  p.  128. 

This  great  advantage,  however,  it  is  evident  they 
gain  not  by  any  thing  done  by  them  in  this  flate 
of  degradation,  but  by  what  was  done  with  them  by 
others,  in  the  ufe  that  men  make  of  them.  But, 
in  like  manner,  the  Hindoos  fuppofe  that  a  man's 
anceilors  may  fuffer  in  another  world  by  what 
their  pofterity  do  in  this.  "  Should  the  eater  of 
fradha  enter  the  fame  day  the  bed  of  a  feducing 
woman,  his  ancefiors  mud  fleep  for  that  month  on 
her  excrements."  (Inftitutes  of  Menu,  p.  84.)  "  If 
a  branrin  apply  the  feeds  of  tila  to  any  purpofe 
but  food,  anointing,  and  facred  oblations,  he  mall 
be  plunged,  in  the  fhape  of  a  worm,  together 
with  his  parents  into  the  ordure  of  dogs,"  ib. 
p.  300. 

In  order  to  give  a  juftidea  of  the  Hindoo  doc- 
trine 


2.64  The  Injlitwtions  of  Mofes  and 

trine  of  a  future  (late,  it  is  neceffary  to  confider 
what  particular  virtues  are  intitled  to  reward  in 
it,  and  what  thofe  rewards  are ;  as  alfo  what  vices 
are  puniflied  in  it,  and  in  what  manner. 

That  rnen  who  die  in  battle  will  attain  to  a  hap- 
py flate  hereafter  was  an  important  article  in  the 
religion  of  the  Northern  nations  of  Europe,  and 
it  is  fo  with  the  Mahometans.  The  fame  is  the 
faith  of  the  Hindoos,  at  leafl  with  refpecl:  to  their 
princes.  <c  Thofe  rulers  of  the  earth  who,  de- 
firous  of  defending  each  other,  exert  their  utmofl 
ftrength  in  battle,  without  ever  averting  their  fa- 
ces, afcend  after  death  directly  to  heaven/'  (Inftitutes 
oj  Menu,  p.  170.)  This  will  not  be  found  in  the 
writings  of  Mofes,  or  in  any  part  of  the  fcripturcs. 

The  great  bulk  of  mankind  cannot  expect  to  at- 
tain to  any  thing  more  than  a  favourable  tranfmi- 
gration  into  the  bodies  of  fome  of  the  more  noble 
animals,  or  fuch  as  generally  meet  with  the  bed 
treatment  in  this  world ;  but  after  being  born  a 
bramin,  it  is  fuppofed  that  they  are  the  neareft  to 
the  heavenly  manfions.  "  A  priefl,"  fay  the  Infti- 
tutes of  Menu,  "  who  lives  by  thofe  rules,  who 
knows  the  ordinances  of  the  Veda,  who  is  freed 
from  the  bondage  of  fin,  fhall  be  abforbed  in  the 
divine  effence,  p.  122.  That  bramin  who  has  du- 
ly attended  his  preceptor  till  the  diflblution  of  his 
body,  pafles  direftly  to  the  eternal  manfions  of 

God, 


'IhojtoJ  the,  Hindoos,  &?c.  compared.      265 

God,  p.  41.  That  twice  born  man  who  fhall  thus, 
without  intermiffion,  have  paffed  the  time  of  his 
fludentfhip  fhall  afcend  after  death  to  the  moft  ex- 
alted regions,  and  no  more  fpring  to  birth  in  this 
lower  world,"  p.  49. 

The  Hindoo  tran (migration  is  not  only  into  the 
bodies  of  animals,  but  in  fome  cafes  men  may  be- 
come vegetables,  and  even  mineral  fubflances. 
<l  For  iinful  afts  moflly  corporeal,  a  man  fhall  af- 
fume  after  death  a  vegetable  or  mineral  form ;  for 
fuch  acts  moflly  verbal,  the  form  of  a  bird  or  bead; 
for  ads  merely  mental,  the  lowefl  of  human  con- 
ditions." (Infliiutes  of  Menu,  p.  346,) 

But  the  moil  complete  fyflem  of  transformations 
is  contained  in  the  following  paffage  of  the  Inili- 
tutes  of  Menu,  which,  on  account  of  its  extreme 
curiofity,  I  fhall  not  abridge.  "  What  peculiar  bo- 
dies the  vital  fpirit  enters  in  this  world,  and  in  con- 
fequence  of  what  fins  here  committed,  now  hear 
at  large,  and  in  order.  Sinners  in  the  firfl  degree, 
having  pafled  thro'  terrible  regions  of  torture,  for  a 
great  number  of  years,  are  condemned  to  the  fol- 
lowing births  at  the  clofe  of  that  period.  The 
flayer  of  a  bramin  muft  enter,  according  to  the  cir- 
cumflances  of  his  crime,  the  body  of  a  dog,  a  bear, 
an  afs,  a  camel,  a  bull,  a  goat,  a  fheep,  a  flag,  a  bird, 
a  chandda,  or  a  puccafa.  A  priefl  who  has  drank 
fjpirilruous  liquor  fhall  migrate  into  the  form  of  a 

I  i  frnalier 


266  The  Inflitutions  of  Mofes  and 

fmaller  or  larger  worm,  or  infect,  of  a  moth,  of  a 
fly  feeding  on  ordure,  or  of  fome  ravenous  animal. 
He  who  fteals  the  gold  of  a  pried  mall  pafs  a  thou- 
fand  times  into  the  bodies  of  fpiders,  of  fnakes, 
and  camelions,  of  aquatic  monfters,  or  of  mif- 
chievous  bloodfucking  demons.  He  who  violates 
the  bed  of  his  father  migrates  a  hundred  times  into 
the  forms  of  grapes,  of  fhrubs  with  crowded  ftems, 
or  of  creeping  and  twining  plants,  of  carnivorous 
animals,  of  beafls  with  fharp  teeth,  or  cruel  brutes. 
They  who  hurt  any  fentient  beings  are  born  eaters 
of  raw  fleih ;  they  who  tafte  what  ought  not  to  be 
tafted,  maggots,  or  fmall  flies ;  they  who  fleal,  de- 
vourers  of  each  other;  they  who  embrace  very 
low  women  become  refllefs  ghofts.  He  who  has 
held  intercourfe  with  degraded  men,  or  has  been 
criminally  connected  with  the  wife  of  another,  or 
flolen  from  a  priefl,  mail  be  changed  into  a  fpirit 
called  Brachmaracflafa.  The  wretch  who  thro* 
covetoufnefs  has  flolen  gems,  pearls,  or  coral,  or 
precious  things,  of  which  there  are  many  forts, 
lhall  be  born  in  the  tribe  of  goldfmiths,  or  among 
birds  called  hcmacaras  or  goldmakers.  If  a  man 
fhall  fteal  grain  in  the  hufk,  he  mail  be  born  a 
rat ;  if  a  yellow  mixed  metal,  a  gander ;  if  water, 
a  ptava,  or  diver ;  if  honey,  a  great  flinging  gnat, 
if  milk,  a  crow  ;  if  expreffed  juice,  a  dog;  if  cla- 
rifkd  butter,  an  ichneumon,  or  weafel.  If  he 

fteal 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.      267 

fteal  flefh  meat,  a  vulture,  if  any  fort  of  fat,  the 
water  bird  madgu  ;     if  oil  a  blatter,  or  oil  drinking 
beitle;    if  fait,  a  cicada,  or  cricket ;    if  curds,   the 
bird  valaga ;  if  filken  clothes,    the  bird  tittifi,   if 
woven  flax,  a  frog ;  if  cotton  cloth,  the  water  bird 
vaggada ;   if  exquifite   perfumes,    a  rnufk    rat ;  if 
potherbs,   a  peacock ;    if  drafted  grain,   in  any  of 
its  various   forms,   a  porcupine  ;    if  raw  grain,    a 
hedghog ;  if  he  fteal  fire  the  bird  vaca  ;  if  a  houfe- 
hold  utenfil,  an  ichneumon  fly  ;   it  died  cloth,  the 
bird  chacora  ;   if  a  deer,  or  an  elephant  he  ftiall  be 
born  a  wolf;  if  a  horfe,  a  tyger;  if  roots,  or  fruit, 
an  ape  ;   if  a  woman,  a  bear ;  if  water  from  a  jar, 
the  bird  chataca  ;    if  carriages,   a  camel ;   if  fmall 
cattle,  a  goat.     Women  who  have  committed  fimi- 
lar  thefts  incur  a  fimilar  taint,  and  fhall  be    paired 
with  thofe  male  beafts  in  the  form  of  their  females," 

P-  353'  &c* 

As  feveral  of  thefe   punifhments    relate  to  the 

killing  of  animals,  it  is  defirable  to  know  how  far 
their  guilt  extends ;  and  in  the  fame  work  we  have 
the  following  information  on  the  fubjecl;.  "  He 
who  confents  to  the  death  of  an  animal,  he  who 
kills  it,  he  who  diflecls  it,  he  who  buys  it,  he  who 
fells  it,  he  who  drefles  it,  he  who  ferves  it  up,  and 
he  who  makes  it  his  food ;  thefe  are  eight  principals 
in  the  daughter,"  p.  129. 

Befides  the  punifliment  of  tran  emigration,  there 

are 


2  68  The  Infiitutivm  of  Mofes  and 

&re  in  the  Hindoo  fyftem,  as  has  appeared  in 
fome  cafes  already,  a  variety  of  hells  for  the  pun» 
ifhment  of  crimes;  and  in  them  the  modes  of  fuf- 
fering  are  various.  The  following  is  a  fpecimen 
of  what  we  are  taught  on  this  fubjecl  in  the  Infli- 
tutes  of  Menu. 

"  He  who  receives  a  prefent  from  an  avaricious 
king,  and  a  tranfgrefTor  of  the  facred  ordinances, 
go  fucceflively  to  the  following  twenty-one  hells, 
Tamifra"  &c.  &c.  All  thele  are  diftincHy  nam- 
ed, and  the  laft,  Lohangaraca,  is  called  "  the  pit 
of  red  hot  charcoal/'  p.  99. — "  He  who  makes  a 
marriage  contract  with  the  connubial  fire,  while  his 
elder  brother  continues  unmarried,  the  damfel  thus 
wedded,  the  giver  of  her  in  wedlock,  and  the  per- 
former of  the  nuptial  facrifice,  all  fink  to  a  region 
of  torment,  p.  74.  As  many  mouthfuls  as  an  un- 
learned man  mail  fwallow  at  an  oblation  to  the 
gods  and  to  anceflors,  fo  many  red  hot  iron  balls 
niuft  the  giver  of  the  fradha  fwallow  in  the 
next  world.  That  fool  who  having  eaten  the 
fradha  gives  the  articles  of  it  to  a  man  of  the  fer- 
vile  clafs,  falls  headlong  to  the  hell  called  calaju- 
tra,"  p.  84. 

The  greateft  of  all   crimes  we   have  feen  to  be 
the  injuring,    and  especially  the  killing,   of  a    bra- 
snin  ;   and  we  have  the  following  curious  circum- 
flances  refpe£Hng  that  fin  in  the  future  world,  ac- 
cording 


Thofc  of  tht  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.      269 

cording  to  the  degrees  of  the  guilt.  "  An  evil 
hearted  wretch,  who  thro'  covetoufncfs  fhall  feize 
the  property  of  the  gods,  or  of  bramins,  fhall  feed 
in  another  world  on  the  orts  of  vultures,  p.  310.  A 
twice  born  man  who  barely  aflaults  a  bramin  with 
intention  to  hurt  him,  fliall  be  whirled  round  about 
for  a  century  in  the  hell  named  tomifra,  but  hav- 
ing fmitten  him  in  anger,  and  by  defign,  even  with 
a  blade  of  grafs,  he  fhall  be  born  in  twenty  one 
tranfmigrations  from  the  wombs  of  impure  qua- 
drupeds. He  who  thro'  ignorance  of  the  law  fheds 
blood  from  the  body  of  a  bramin,  not  engaged  in 
battle,  fhall  feel  exquifite  pain  in  his  future  life. 
As  many  particles  of  duft  as  the  blood  fhall  roll  up 
from  the  ground,  fb  many  years  fhall  the  fhedder 
of  that  blood  be  mangled  by  other  animals  in  his 
next  birth,  p.  no.  An  aflaulter  of  a  bramin  with 
intent  to  kill  him  fhall  remain  in  hell  an  hundred 
years  ;  for  actually  flriking  him  with  like  intent  a 
thoufand,  p.  336.  As  many  fmall  pellets  of  duft 
as  the  blood  of  a  bramin  collects  on  the  ground,  for 
fo  many  thoufand  years  muft  the  fhedder  of  that 
blood  be  tormented  in  hell,"  ib.  The  Gentoo  laws 
fay  that  "  he  who  refumes  the  religious  foundation  of 
a  bramin,  of  a  dewtah,  or  of  any  other  perfon, 
will  remain  in  hell  a  thoufand  years,"  p.  1 20. 

The  bramins  themfelves  are  not  confidered  as 
impeccable,  and  I  fhall  now  recite  from  the  InfH- 

tutos 


2170  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

tutes  of  Menu,  the  punifhments  to  which  they  are 
liibjecl.  "  By  cenfurmg  his  preceptor  unjuftly, 
the  fludent  will  be  born  an  afs,  by  falfely  defa- 
ming him  a  dog,  by  ufmg  his  goods  without  leave 
a  fmall  worm,  by  envying  his  merit  a  larger  infect 
or  reptile,  p.  43.  Let  no  twice  born  man,  who 
knows  the  law,  and  is  not  in  urgent  diflrefs,  eat 
flefh  without  obferving  this  rule ;  for  he,  unable  to 
fave  himfelf,  will  be  devoured  in  the  next  world 
by  thofe  very  animals  whofe  flefh  he  has  thus  ille- 
gally fwallowed,  p.  127.  A  bramin  who  begs  any 
articles  for  a  facrifice,  and  difpofes  not  of  them  all 
for  that  purpofe,  fhall  become  a  kite,  or  a  crow 
lor  a  hundred  years,  p.  310.  A  bramin  if  he  take 
a  fudra  to  his  bed,  as  his  fiiil  wife,  links  to  the  re- 
gions of  torment  ;  if  he  beget  a  child  by  her,  he 
lofes  even  his  prieflly  rank.  His  facrifice  to  the 
gods,  his  oblations  to  the  manes,  and  his  hofpita- 
ble  attentions  to  flrangers,  muft  be  fupplied  prin- 
cipally by  her ;  but  the  gods  and  manes  will  not 
cat  fuch  offerings,  nor  can  heaven  be  attained  by 
fuch  hofpitality,"  p.  53. 

Mr.  Dow  gives  an  account  of  the  Hindoo  doc- 
trine of  a  future  ftate  very  different  from  the  prece- 
ding. According  to  his  reprefentation  of  it,  p.  47, 
men  firft  atone  for  their  crimes  in  hell,  where  they 
remain  for  a  fpace  proportioned  to  the  degree  of  their 
iniquities.  Then  they  rife  to  heaven  ,  to  be,  re- 
warded 


Thofe  of  the,  Hindoos,   £?e.  compared.       271 

warded  for  a  time  for  their  virtues,  and  thence  they 
will  return  to  the  world  to  re-animate  other  bodies. 
He  farther  fays  that,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Bedang,  God  has  no  paffions  but  benevolence  ; 
and  having  no  wrath,  he  never  punifhes  the  wick- 
ed, but  by  the  pains  and  afflictions  which  are  the 
natural  confequence  of  their  actions.  The  more 
learned  bramins,  he  fays,  affirm  that  the  hell  which 
is  mentioned  in  the  Bedang  is  only  intended  as  a 
bug  bear  to  the  vulgar,  p.  54.  This  was  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Greek  philofophers.  They  faid  that 
God,  being  without  anger,  the  wicked  would  not 
be  punimed  after  death.  It  is  not,  however,  an- 
ger, but  virtually  benevolence,  or  a  regard  to  the 
good  of  the  whole  creation,  that  requires  the  pu- 
nifhment  of  the  wicked  either  here  or  hereafter. 

Mr.  Holwell  alfo,  contrary  to  all  other  accounts, 
which  reprefent  future  puniffiment  as  in  all  cafes 
finite,  fays,  as  from  the  fhaftah,  p.  52,  that  "who- 
ever mail  free  himfelf  by  violence  from  this  mortal 
body  mall  be  plunged  in  Onderah  for  ever." 

According  to  Mr.  Phillips's  account  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Malabar,  they  who  deflroy  themfelves  go 
neither  to  heaven  nor  hell,  but  flroll  about,  and 
become  what  are  called  j^V/^,  under  the  power  of 
the  chief  of  the  devils.  It  is  alfo  faid  that  if  any 
fervant  of  Tfhiven  commits  a  heinous  crime,  he 
curfes  them,  and  they  become  devils,  and  appear 


The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

under  different  fhapes  to  deceive  limple  people, 
by  exciting  in  their  minds  many  unclean  and  ex-  ' 
travagant  thoughts.  Sometimes  they  enter  into 
men,  and  then  they  become  demoniacs,  and  go 
about  naked  and  mad,  to  difturb  the  neighbour- 
hood, eating  grafs  and  raw  flem,  p.  85.  P.  Delia 
Valle  alfo  fays,  p.  45,  that  according  to  the  Indians 
fome  very  wicked  men  become  devils.  * 

Such  is  the  faith  of  the  Hindoos  with  refpeft  to 
themfelves.  As  to  perfons  of  other  nations  and 
religions,  they  will,  according  to  P.  Delia  Valle,  p. 
42,  "  if  they  live  virtuoufly,  after  being  purified 
various  ways,  be  born  Hindoos,  and  in  this  way  ar- 
live  at  paradife,  and  live  with  God;  tho'  in  the  be- 
ginning their  fouls  were  the  greateft  mifcreants  that 
ever  lived/' 

The  ancient  Perfians  appear  to  have  retained  the 
belief  of  a  refurreclion,  which  1  doubt  not  was  a 
doctrine  originally  communicated  to  mankind,  tho' 
the  record  of  it  is  now  loft.  The  writings  of  the 
Parfi's  contained  feveral  particulars  relating  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  the  refurreclion.  Zoroaf- 
ter,  in  the  Zendave/la,  expatiates  on  what  is  to 
happen  at  that  time,  "  Then,"  he  fays,  "  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  will  pafs  over  a  bridge ; 
which  feparates  earth  from  heaven  under  the  pro- 
tection 

*  The  Egyptians  believed  that  all  eminent  perfons  be* 
come  ftars  when  they  die.  (Plutarch  DC  Iftdc,  &c.J 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       273 

teclion  of  the  dog,  who  was  created  as  the  common 
guardian  of  cattle.  At  that  time  the  heat  fhall 
caufo  the  mountains  to  flow  like  a  river.  The  righ- 
teous, however,  will  feel  but  a  gentle  warmth,  but 
the  wicked  will  fuffer  by  the  heat,  tho'  they  will  at 
length  be  purified,  and  made  happy."  (Annual 
Resifter,  for  1762,  p.  no,  £c.) 

They  do  not  bury  or  burn  their  dead,  but  ex- 
pofe  them  on  places  erected  for  the  purpofe,  to  be 
devoured  by  birds  of  prey  ;  and  obferve  which  of 
the  eyes  is  firft  picked  out.  If  it  be  the  right  eye, 
they[believe  the  deceafed  to  be  happy,  and  exprefs 
great  joy  on  the  occafion  ;  but  if  it  be  the  left,  they 
confider  it  as  a  bad  omen  with  refpecl  to  the  deceaf- 
ed, and  are  very  forrowful. 

The  Parfi's  have  a  fuperflitious  refpecl  for  dogs, 
but  a  great  averfion  to  ferpents,  lizards,  toads,  frogs, 
ants,  crabs,  mice,  rats,  and  efpecially  to  cats  ;  being 
of  opinion  that  they  were  created  not  by  God,  but 
by  the  devil,  and  that  they  are  his  executioners  in 
the  torment  of  the  damned.  They  therefore  en* 
deavour  to  deftroy  as  many  of  them  as  they  can, 
thinking  thereby  to  diminifh  the  fufFerings  of  thofe: 
that  are  in  hell.  They  believe,  however,  that  at 
the  end  of  the  world  they  will  all  be  releafed  from 
torment,  and  go  to  paradife.  Tavernier,  vol.  i. 
p.  494,  &c. 

My  readers  are  now,  I  hope,   fatisfied,  if  not 
K  k  fatiated, 


274  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

fatiat^d,  with  refpeft  to  the  Hindoo  dodlrine  of  a 
future  flate.  For,  fure,  it  muft  appear  to  be  as  def- 
titute  of  dignity,  as  it  is  of  authority ;  even  more  fo 
than  the  paradife  and  hell  of  Mahomet,  who  bor- 
rowed his  bridge  from  the  religion  of  the  Perfians. 
How  different,  in  all  refpeds,  is  the  doarine  of 
our  fcriptures  on  this  important  fubjeft  ;  in  which 
tho'  it  is  faid  by  fome  unbelievers  to  have  been  deriv- 
ed from  other  oriental  fyftems,  we  find  nothing 
concerning  the  preexiftance  of  human  fouls,  or  of 
their  tranfmigrations  after  death,  but  only  that,  at 
a  time  appointed  by  God,  the  dead  (hall  be  raifed, 
when  all  men  will  be  rewarded  or  punifhed  accord- 
ing to  their  works.  But  with  refpcd  to  the  particu- 
lars of  which  our  future  happinefs  or  mifery  will 
confift,  we  are  wifely  left  in  ignorance. 

At  what  time  this  great  dodlrine  was  firft  re- 
vealed to  man,  we  have  no  certain  knowledge. 
We  find  it  among  the  Jews  before  the  time  of  our 
Saviour,  tlio'  no  mention  is  made  of  it  in  the  writ- 
ings of  Mofes ;  and  there  are  not  many  allufions 
to  it  in  any  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Teftament. 
But  jefus  was  commiffioned,  and  empowered,  to 
publifh  it  in  the  clearer!  and  rnoft.fatisfadtory  man- 
ner. For,  after  performing  numerous  miracles, 
in  the  prefcnce  of  all  his  countrymen,  his  ene- 
mies never  excluded,  feme  of  them  being  the 
railing  the  dead  to  life,  he  voluntarily  furrendered 

himfclf 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.      275 

himfelf  to  his  enemies,  and  after  a  public  cruci- 
fixion (which  could  leave  no  reafonable  doubt 
with  refpeft  to  the  reality  of  his  death)  he  came  to 
life  again  at  the  time  that  he  had  previoufly  fixed, 
to  the  intirc  fatisfa&ion  of  many  hundreds  of  thofc 
who  could  not  be  miftaken  with  refpecl  to  his  per- 
fon,  and  who  on  his  death  had  not  that  lead  ex- 
pectation of  the  event.  In  my  Difcourfe  on  the 
Refurreftion  of  jfrfus,  I  have  fhewn  that,  this 
moft  important  fact  was  fo  circumftanced  that  the 
evidence  of  its  truth  could  not  have  been  ftronger 
than  it  now  is  at  this  diflance  of  time,  on  any  fup- 
pofed  change  of  circumflances,  according  to  the 
fairefl  rules  for  eftimating  the  value  of  teftimony. 
Whereas  the  Hindoo  doctrine  is  both  in  the  higheft 
degree  incredible  in  itfelf,  and  deftitute  of  all  ex- 
ternal evidence  whatever. 


SECTION 


276  The  Injlituticns  cf  Mofes  and 


SEC  T  ION     XXIV. 

Concluding  Reflexions. 

conclude  this  companion  of  the  Inflitutions  of 
•*•  Mofes  with  thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  and  other 
ancient  nations,  with  fome  obfervations  of  a  gene- 
ral nature  relating  to  the  evidence  of  revelation, 
which  appear  to  me  to  be  naturally  fuggefted  by 
the  view  that  I  have  exhibited  of  the  ftate  of  know- 
ledge and  religion  in  the  early  ages. 

i.  If  we  inquire  into  foundation  of  the  Hindoo 
religion,  we  find  it  to  be  a  perfectly  bafelefs  fabric. 
The  only  proper  evidence  of  any  truth  beyond  the 
natural  powers  of  the  human  mind,  that  is  fuch  as 
men  who  had  only  the  appearances  of  nature  to 
reafon  from  could  not  have  difcovered  (and  this 
is  evidently  the  cafe  with  refpecl  to  many  parts  of 
this  fyftem)  muft  be  information  received  from  be* 
ings  wh'o  know  more  than  man  can  attain  to.  And 
the  only  evidence  of  fuch  fupernatural  information 
are  fuch  works  as  only  beings  fuperior  to  man  can 
perform >  that  is,  proper  miracles ;  and  it  does  not 
yet  appear  that  any  thing  of  this  kind  is  fo  much 
as  pretended  to  by  the  advocates  for  this  fyftem.  It 

is 


Thofe.  of  the  Hindoos,  £?c-  compared.       277 

is  only  afferted,  on  the  mere  authority  of  the  bra- 
mins,  the  authors  of  the  Hindoo  facred  books, 
that  their  religion  and  laws  were  dictated  by  Brah- 
ma, the  agent  of  the  Supreme  Being.  But  where 
is  the  evidence  of  this  ?  What  is  there  in  the  fyf- 
tem  itfelf,  or  the  books  which  contain  it,  that  ex- 
ceeds the  faculties  of  man  ;  and  what  proof  is  alleg- 
ed of  the  interference  of  Brahma,  or  any  other  be- 
ing fuperior  to  man  ? 

That  the  fouls  of  men  have  preexifted,  and  were 
fent  down  into  mortal  bodies  for  offences  commit- 
ted in  a  prior  flate,  is  what  a  man  may  eafily  ima- 
gine, but  it  is  not  what  any  man  can  know.  If, 
therefore,  it  be  true,  he  mufl  have  learned  it  from 
fome  perfon  who  knew  more  of  the  matter  than 
himfelf ;  and  he  that  promulgated  the  do&rine 
fliould  have  given  fome  evidence  of  his  having  had 
communication  with  fuch  a  being.  Here  the  de- 
fect lies. 

The  facred  books  of  the  Hindoos  are,  no  doubt, 
very  ancient ;  but  that  circumftance  is  no  proof 
of  a  divine  origin,  to  which  they  pretend.  They 
are  probably  as  old  as  thofe  of  Mofes.  But  what 
the  author  of  the  Hindoo  fyftem  did  not,  as  far  as 
appears,  pretend  to,  Mofes  did.  The  promulga- 
tion of  his  laws  was,  according  to  his  writings,  ac- 
companied with  numerous  miracles,  of  the  moft 
ftupendous  kind,  miracles  of  which  millions  of  per- 

fons 


2; 8  The  Inftitutions  of  Mofes  and 

fons  muft  have  been  witneffes ;  and  they  were  on 
fo  large  a  fcale,  and  of  fuch  a  nature,  that  there 
could  not  have  been  any  impofition  in  the  cafe. 
The  hiftory  of  them  was  alfo  committed  to  writ- 
ing, and  publifhed,  while  the  events  were  recent ; 
fo  that  no  perfon  in  the  whole  nation  appears  to 
have  entertained  any  doubt  with  refpedl  to  them, 
from  that  time  to  the  prefent  day.  And  yet  this 
nation  was  far  from  having  any  predilection  for  the 
inftitutions  that  were  thus  prefcribed  to  them. 
This  appears  abundantly  from  their  frequent  rejec- 
tion of  them,  and  the  preference  they  gave  to  thofe 
of  their  neighbours. 

There  are,  it  is  acknowledged,  feveral  articles  in 
the  inftitutions  of  Mofes  for  which  we  are  not  able 
to  affign  fatisfaftory  reafons.  But  this  cannot  be 
thought  extraordinary,  confidering  that  their  anti- 
quity is  fo  great,  and  that  they  were  adapted  to  a 
flate  of  manners,  opinions,  and  other  circum fian- 
ces of  thofe  remote  times,  with  which  we  are  but 
imperfectly  acquainted.  Neither  are  we  able 
fully  to  fatisfy  ourfelves  with  refpe&  to  many  par- 
ticulars in  the  fyftem  of  nature,  which,  notwith- 
ftanding,  we  have  no  doubt  came  from  God. 
And  the  more  attention  we  give  to  both,  the  more 
rcafon  do  we  difcover  for  thofe  circumflances  which 
at  firft  appeared  the  moft  objectionable.  The  bet- 
ter we  underftand  them  -both,  the  more  reafon  do 

we 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c>  compared.      279 

we  fee  to  admire  them,  and  to  be  fatisfied  that  they 
were  ordained  by  a  wifdom  more  than  human. 
And  the  companion  that  I  have  exhibited  of  the 
inftitutions  of  Mofes  with  thofe  of  the  Hindoos, 
which  all  my  readers  will  allow  to  be  merely  hu- 
man, will  I  hope  fet  this  argument  in  a  peculiarly 
flrong  point  of  light. 

The  abfurdity  of  the  Hindoo  fyftem  is  as  appa- 
rent as  the  fuperior  wifdom  of  that  of  Mofes  ;  and 
yet  in  every  other  refpecl;  the  Hindoo  nation  ap- 
pears to  much  greater  advantage.  With  them  we 
find  the  rudiments,  and  more  than  the  rudiments, 
of  moft  of  the  arts  and  fciences,  efpecially  that  of 
aftronomy,  of  which  moft  other  nations  were  wholly 
ignorant.  And  yet  while  the  Hebrews  made  no 
difcoveries  in  fcience,  they  had  a  religion  perfectly 
rational,  and  that  of  the  Hindoos  was  abfurd  in  the 
extreme.  This,  furely,  is  an  argument  of  the  inter- 
nal kind  in  favour  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  He- 
brew religion,  almofl  as  irrefiftible  as  any  argument 
from  miracles. 

2.  It  is  univerfally  acknowledged  that,  in  the 
early  ages  of  mankind,  there  was  a  period  that  was 
free  from  the  polytheifm  and  idolatry  which  after- 
wards prevailed.  The  fentiments  and  practices  of 
men  were  fuch  as  we  now  think  more  rational,  and 
lefs  chargeable  with  fuperflition  and  folly.  This, 
Mr,  Holwell  fays,  was  the  cafe  with  the  Hindoos. 

It 


288  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

It  was  fo  with  the  Northern  nations  of  Europe; 
and  according  to  Clavigero  the  horrid  rites  of  the 
Mexican  religion  had  not  been  adopted  many  centu- 
ries before  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards.  At  the 
fame  time,  it  muft  be  allowed,  that  men  could  not 
of  themfelves  have  had  more  knowledge  in  thofe 
early  ages  than  they  acquired  afterwards.  Their 
faculties  being  the  fame,  and  their  obfervation  and 
experience  (the  only  natural  fources  of  knowledge) 
being  more  confined,  they  muft  of  neceffity  have 
known  lefs  than  their  pofterity,  who  had  greatly 
the  advantage  of  them  in  that  refpecl;. 

From  this  remarkable  fa6t  is  it  not  evident,  that 
in  the  period  which  preceded  the  polytheifm  and 
idolatry  that  overfpread  the  world  mankind  had 
had  inftru6lion  from  fome  fupernatural  fource,  and, 
that  they  afterwards  loft  fight  of  it ;  that  when 
they  were  left  to  themfelves,  and  their  own  {pecu- 
lations, they  corrupted  the  purer  tenets  which  they 
had  received  from  their  anceftors,  and  adopted 
others  from  fuch  deductions  as  they  were  able  of 
themfelves  to  make,  from  their  obfervation  of  the 
courfe  of  nature  ?  Then,  contemplating  fuch  ob- 
je6fo  as  the  fun,  the  moon,  the  ftars,  and  the  earth, 
and  conceiving  them  to  be  the  immediate  caufes  of 
the  good  or  evil  to  which  they  were  expofed,  they 
confined  their  regards  to  them ;  and  not  being  able 
to  perceive  the  natural  connection  of  caufes  and 

effeds, 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos,   ere.  compared.       28 1 

effc6b,  they  imagined  that  their  influences,  which  we 
know  to  kQiicceffary,  were  voluntary;  that  the  fun. 
emitted  his  heat,  for  beneficial  or  hurtful  purpofes, 
at  his  pleafure,  or  that  of  fome  intelligent  being 
who  refided,  as  they  thought,  in  his  fphere,  and 
directed  his  motions ;  and  that  the  moon,  the  ftars, 
the  planets,  and  even  terreilrial  objects,  were  alfo 
animated  like  themfelves.  Hence  they  were  natu- 
rally led  to  the  idea  of  endeavouring  to  gain  the 
favour,  and  to  avert  the  difpleafure,  of  thofe  divi- 
nities, to  whofe  power  they  were  fubjecfc,  by  fuch 
methods  as  were  adapted  to  produce  the  fame  effecl 
on  themfelves. 

3.  Having  once  got  into  this  train  of  thinking, 
that  polytheifm  into  which  all  mankind  went,  and  all 
the  fuperflitious  rites  of  the  heathen  religions,  were 
the  natural  confequence.  And  nothing  but  a  far- 
ther infight  into  the  true  caufes  of  natural  appear- 
ances than  they  could  poflibly  have  gained  could 
have  corrected  the  falfe  judgments  they  had  formed 
of  things,  and  have  brought  them  back  to  the  fim- 
ple  and  rational  religion  of  their  anceflors ;  con- 
fiding in  the  acknowledgment  of  one  great  Being, 
the  caufe  of  all  things,  and  of  all  events;  and 
that  what  they  took  to  be  primary,  were  only  fe- 
condary  caufes,  under  the  direction  of  the  fupremc 
caufe  of  all.  As  fuch  an  infight  into  the  works  of 
nature  was  not  attained  by  the  Greeks,  or  Romans, 

L  1  the 


282  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

the  moft  enlightened  of  the  nations  of  antiquity,  it 
is  not  at  all  probable  that  mankind  in  general 
would  ever,  of  themfelves,  have  gained  fo  much 
knowledge  as  would  have  been  fufficient  for  that 
purpofe ;  or  at  leaft  not  till  a  period  too  remote 
for  our  contemplation. 

The  more  men  fpeculate  on  falfe  principles,  the 
farther  they  neceffarily  wander  from  truth  and  rea- 
fon,  and  the  more  they  involve  themfelves  in  in- 
tricate and  abfurd  opinions  ;  and  if  the  fubjec~l  be 
religion,  in  fuperftitious  and  abfurd  practices,  fan- 
cying innumerable  things  to  be  caufes,  or  indica- 
tions, of  events,  which  in  reality  have  no  relation 
to  them.  Hence  came  the  whole  bufmefs  of  divi- 
nation, auguries,  oracles,  &c.  &c.  and  hence  alfo 
both  human  facrifices,  and  rites  of  the  moft  licenti- 
ous nature.  For  what  is  there  not  that  men,  judg- 
ing as  they  did  of  their  gods  by  what  they  experi- 
enced and  obferved  of  men,  might  not  imagine 
was  adapted  to  pleafe  fome  or  other  of  them.  They 
even  thought,  as  we  have  feen,  that  when  they 
eould  not  prevail  upon  them  by  fair  ireans,  they 
might  fucceed  by  having  recourfe  to  violence. 
Hence  the  beating  of  the  facred  animals  in  Egypt, 
of  the  ftatues  of  fome  of  the  gods  of  Greece,  and 
alfo  the  fame  treatment  of  thofe  of  fome  of  the  po- 
pifh  faints.  For  the  fame  caufes  will  ever  produce 
the  fame  effe&s. 

If 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.      283 

If  a  few  perfons,  more  enlightened  than  others, 
could  have  acquired  knowledge  enough  to  fee  the 
folly  of  the  vulgar  fuperftition,  it  is  not  probable 
that  they  would  ever  have  had  influence  (if  they  had 
had  public  fpirit  and  courage)  fufficientto  correct  the 
errors  of  the  multitude,  and  break  their  inveterate 
habits.  It  is  moft  probable  that  their  firft  convic- 
tion of  the  abfurdity  of  the  prevailing  fuperftition 
would  have  led  them  to  the  rejection  of  all  religi- 
on, and  to  become  atheifts,  rather  than  revert  to  the 
worfhip  of  the  one  Supreme  Being.  And  never 
could  they,  from  their  obfervation  of  any  appearan- 
ces in  nature,  have  been  led  to  the  belief  of  a  fu- 
ture flate. 

Without  revelation  the  degree  of  reafonthat  God 
has  thought  proper  to  give  to  a  man  is  fo  far  from 
being  fufficient  for  his  moral  inftru&ion,  that  the 
moft  intelligent  of  the  heathens,  thofe  who  thought 
and  reflected  the  moft  (as  we  may  judge  by  their 
refinements  in  metaphyfics,  mythology  and  theolo- 
gy) as  the  Egyptians,  the  Greeks,  and  the  Hin- 
doos, have  erred  the  moft  widely ;  having  given 
into  more  abfurd  fuperftitions  than  the  moft  ftupid 
of  mankind.  For  certainly  the  religion  of  the 
North  Americans,  and  even  that  of  the  Negro's  in 
Africa,  is  preferable  to  that  of  the  civilized  nations 
above  mentioned,  or  that  of  the  Mexicans  and  Pe- 
ruvians 


284  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

ruvians  on  the  fame  continent,  who  yet  were  much 
farther  advanced  in  the  arts  of  life. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  true  religion,  con- 
fiding in  the  knowledge  and  fole  worfhip  of  the 
one  true  God,  of  the  maxims  of  his  righteous  go- 
vernment, and  of  the  deftination  of  man  to  fur- 
vive  the  grave,  muft  neceffarily  have  been  derived 
from  revelation.  All  ancient  hiflory,  and  every 
view  of  theprefent  ftate  of  the  world,  and  efpe- 
cially  of  "the  moft  enlightened  inhabitants  of  it,  as 
the  Hindoos,  and  Chinefe,  muft  convince  every 
competent  and  candid  obferver  of  this  great  truth. 
He  mufl  be  fatisfied  that  the  world  would  never  ly 
its  own  zvifdom  (to  ufe  the  language  of  the  apoftle, 

1  Cor.  i.  2)  have  attained  to  the  true  knowledge  of 
God,  or  any  thing  that  deferves  to  be  called  ratio- 
nal and  ufeful   religion.     It  is  by  the  gofpel  only 
that  life  and  immortality  have  leen  brought  to  light, 

2  Tim.  i.  2. 

Peihaps  the  moft  fatisfatlory  account  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Greeks,  the  moft  intelligent  of 
all  the  ancients,  on  the  fubjecls  of  philofophy  and 
religion,  will  be  found  in  the,  works  of  Cicero,  who 
was  well  acquainted  with  their  writings,  and  who 
has  given  the  fub fiance  of  them  in  his  own.  How 
little  they  knew  on  this  fubjedl:,  confefled  by  him 
to  be  of  the  greateft  importance,  may  be  feen  in 

his 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.       285 

his  trcatifc  on  the  Nature  of  the  Gods,  in  the  intro- 
duction to  which  he  writes  as  follows. 

"  As  many  things  in  philofophy  are  not  fuffici- 
cntly  clear,  fo  the  queflion  concerning  the  nature 
of  the  gods,  which  is  in  itfelf  the  moil  interefling  and 
neceflary  for  the  regulation  of  religion,  is  attended 
with  peculiar  difficulty.  And  fo  various  and  dif- 
cordant  are  the  opinions  of  the  mo  ft  learned  on  the 
fubjecl,  that  it  affords  a  good  argument  for  the 
Academics  to  withhold  their  affent  to  proportions 
that  are  uncertain,  and  to  maintain  that  ignorance 
is  the  foundation  of  philofophy/' 

"  With  refpecl  to  this  queftion,  the  greater  part 
hold  what  is  moft  probable,  viz.  that  there  are 
gods.  But  Protagoras  doubted  of  it,  and  Diago- 
ras  of  Melos,  and  Theodorus  of  Cyrene,  held  that 
there  are  none.  And  of  thofe  who  fuppofed  that 
there  are  gods,  their  opinions  are  fo  various,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  enumerate  them.  Much  has  been 
advanced  concerning  the  form  of  the  gods,  the 
place  of  their  habitation,  and  their  employment ; 
and  on  thefe  fubjects  there  has  been  much  difputa- 
tion  among  the  philofophers.  But  the  principal 
difference  among  them,  and  a  fubjecl;  on  which 
every  thing  depends,  is  whether  the  gods  under- 
take to  do  nothing  in  the  government  of  the  world,  or 
whether  every  thing  was  originally  conftituted,  and 
is  ilill  direfted,  by  them,  and  will  be  fo  for  ever. 

Till 


286  The  Injlitutions  of  Mcfes  and 

Till  this  be  decided,  men  muft  be  in  much  error1 
about  things  of  the  greateft  importance." 

"  For  there  are,  and  have  been,  philofophers 
who  have  maintained  that  the  gods  take  no  care  of 
human  affairs ;  and  if  this  dodrine  be  true,  what 
foundation  can  there  be  for  piety  or  religion.  This 
will  be  due  to  them  if  they  be  noticed  by  them,  and 
if,  in  return,  they  render  any  fervices  to  men.  But 
if  the  gods  neither  can,  nor  will,  do  any  thing  fot 
us,  and  give  no  attention  to  our  conduct,  why 
fhould  we  render  them  any  kind  of  worfhip,  or  pray 
to  them  ?  Then  will  piety  be  mere  hypocrify, 
and  all  religion  will  be  at  an  end  j  and  this  will  be 
attended  with  the  greateft  confufion  in  the  buiinefs 
of  life.  Nay,  I  do  not  know  but  that,  with  the 
lofs  of  religion,  the  foundation  of  all  confidence 
of  men  in  fociety,  and  even  of  juflice,  the  mo  ft 
important  of  the  virtues,  would  be  taken  away." 

"  But  there  are  other  philofophers,  and  thofe  of 
the  firft  diftin&ion,  who  think  that  the  world  is 
governed  by  the  mind  and  will  of  the  gods,  that 
by  them  every  thing  in  the  courfe  of  nature  is  pro- 
vided for  the  ufe  of  man  ;  and  they  exprefs  them- 
felves  in  fuch  a  manner,  as  if  they  thought  the 
gods  themfelves  were  made  for  the  ufe  of  men.  A- 
gainft  thefe  Carneadeshas  advanced  fo  much,  as  to 
excite  perfons  of  any  curiolity  to  inveftigate  the 
truth.  For  there  is  no  fubject  about  which  not 

only 


Thoft  of  the  Hindoos,   &c.  compared.       287 

only  the  unlearned,  but  even  the  learned,  differ 
fo  much  ;  and  their  opinions  are  fo  various,  and 
difcordant,  that  only  one  of  them  can  be  true,  tho' 
they  may  all  be  erroneous." 

Such  was  the  laft  and  moil  improved  (late  of  the 
theory  of  religion  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
and  it  certainly  exhibits  darknefs  rather  than  light. 
Among  the  lateft  improvement  in  the  prattice  of 
heathenifm,  before  it  was  entirely  abolifhed  by  the 
rational  principles  of  chriftianity,  was  the  taurtbo- 
lium,  the  criobolium,  or  czgibolium,  according  as  the 
victim  was  a  bull,  a  ram,  or  a  goat.     We  find  no 
mention  of  this  extraordinary  ceremony  before  the 
time  of  the  fons  of  Conflantine,   and  the  moft  par- 
ticular defcription  of  it  is  in  a  poem  of  Prudentius, 
who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Theodofius.     But  I  can- 
not think  with  Mr.  Van  Dale,   who  has   thrown 
much  light  on  the  fubject,   that  it  bore  any  relation, 
direct  or  indirect,   to  chriftianity.     Every  thing  be- 
longing to  it  was  purely  heathen  ;   the  object  being 
a  myftical  purification,  or  renovation,  in  a  facrificc 
to  the  mother  of  the  Gods,  and  fuch  as  was  pro- 
mifed  in  the  Eleufmian  and  other  myjleries,  or  ini- 
tiations,   and  the  effect  was  fuppofed  to  continue 
twenty  years,    after   which  it  was  repeated.     Both 
men  and  women  were  thus  initiated,  or  renovated. 
But  it  was  frequently  performed  at  the  expence  of 
cities  or  provinces,  for  the  fefety  of  the  emperor,  or 

on 


2 S3  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

on  fome  other  public  account  ;  and  then  the  per- 
fon  on  whom  it  was  performed  was  a  prieft,  or  pub- 
lic magiftrate ;  and  it  was  done  in  the  following 
manner. 

Being  habited  in  a  rich  and  peculiar  drefs,  he 
took  his  Ration  in  a  place  covered  with  boards,  but 
full  of  chinks  and  perforations.  Over  this  the  bull, 
or  other  vi6lim,  was  facrificed  with  the  ufual  pre- 
paration and  ceremonies  ;  and  as  the  blood  flowed 
upon  thefe  boards,  and  ran  in  ftreams  thro'  the 
chinks  and  perforations,  he  greedily  catched  it  on 
his  head,  face,  nofe,  ears,  mouth,  and  in  all  the 
folds  of  his  clothes,  covering  himfelf  with  it  as 
much  as  he  poflibly  could.  He  then  came  out, 
and  was  gazed  at  with  the  greateft  refpeft  and  ve- 
neration by  the  fpectators  ;  and  if  it  was  on  his  own 
account,  he  wore  that  drefs  till  he  could  wear  it 
no  longer,  as  was  done  with  all  the  clothes  in 
which  perfons  were  initiated  in  other  myfteries. 

When  the  ceremony  was  performed  on  a  public 
account,  it  often  continued  many  days,  feveral  per- 
ibns,  no  doubt,  receiving  the  blood  in  this  manner, 
and  feveral  viftims  being  facrificed.  In  Van  Dale's 
traft  on  this  fubjecl;  are  many  monumental  infcrip- 
tion,  which  fhew  that  this  rite  was  frequently  per- 
formed for  the  fafety  of  heathen,  and  even  of  fome 
chrillian,  emperors.  Voltaire,  who  could  fee  noth- 
ing orFenfive  in  the  religious  rites  of  the  Greeks  or 

Romans, 


Thofeof  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      289 

Romans,  might  not  have  been  difgufted  with  this, 
and  have  thought  it  more  decent  than  the  rites  of  the 
Mofaic  religion.  It  is  evident  from  many  public 
inscriptions,  that  during  the  time  of  tbs  heathen 
emperors,  it  was  a  rite  of  religion  on  which  more 
flrefs  was  laid,  and  from  which  more  real  benefit 
was  expected,  than  from  any  other  whatever.  To 
perfons  who  are  really  unprejudiced  it  mi; ft  there- 
fore appear  that,  in  the  moft  improved  (late  of 
the  world  before  the  prevalence  of  chriftianiiy,  the 
practices  of  the  heathens  were  no  lefs  abfurd  than 
their  principles;  and  confequently  that  there  was 
no  reafonable  profpect  of  mankind,  without  the 
aid  of  revelation,  growing  wifer  or  better. 

4.  It  is  the  antecedent  improbability  of  mira- 
cles that,  I  believe,  weighs  the  moft  with  modern 
unbelievers  in  their  rejection  of  revelation.  But 
this  will  be  much  leffened  in  the  eye  of  a  philofo- 
pher,  who  duly  reflects  on  the  infinite  magnitude, 
and  the  infinite  wifdom,  of  the  works  of  creation 
(for  in  thefe  reflections  I  muft  fuppofe  the  exiftcnce 
of  a  creator,  or  an  intelligent  firft  caufe)  which  ex- 
ceed our  power  of  comprehenfion.  In  whatever 
it  may  be  fuppofed  to  refide,  there  muft  be  fome 
where  a  mind  that  comprehends  the  whole.  For, 
vaft  as  it  is,  the  whole  univerfe  is  but  one,  and  there- 
fore fo  muft  be  its  author. 

Now,  in  this  immenfe  univerfe  we  fee  an 
M  rn 


290  The  Injliiutions  of  Mofes  and 

tion  to  the  greatefl  and  the  fmallefl  objects  at  the 
fame  time.  There  are  plants  and  animals  too, 
which  the  greatefl  magnifying  powers  of  our  bell 
rnicrofcopes  can  barely,  if  at  all,  difcover,  as  well 
as  elephants,  crocodiles,  and  whales :  and  minute 
as  their  ftrufture  is,  it  is  equally  elaborate,  and  as 
perfeftly  adapted  to  their  fituation.  It  is  but  little 
that,  after  the  fludy  of  ages,  we  yet  know  of  this 
ftupendous  frame.  But  can  we  think  it  probable 
that  it  was  never  defigned  to  be  better  under  flood, 
and  not  merely  in  fucceffion,  by  beings  who  only 
juft  look  at  it,  and  then  clofe  their  eyes  for  ever  ? 
Every  individual  man  is  capable  of  an  endlefs  ad- 
vance in  knowledge,  and  in  virtue  too,  of  which 
we  at  prcfent  only  fee  enough  to  convince  us  that 
3ae  is  capable  of  it. 

If  we  may  be  allowed  to  form  our  ideas  of  the 
fupreme  intelligence  from  our  own  (and  we  have 
nothing  elfe  to  guide  us  in  our  fpeculations  on  this 
fubje6l)  we  may  fay,  Does  any  perfon  ever  exe- 
cute a  work,  the  knowledge  of  which  he  wilhes  for 
ever  to  keep  to  himfelf  ?  I  do  not  afcribe  vanity 
to  the  Supreme  Being,  becaufe  that  implies  court- 
ing the  applaufc  of  beings  not  only  fimilar,  but 
equal,  or  fuperior  to,  ourfelves  ;  but  I  think  the 
analogy  of  all  intelligence  mud  carry  us  fo  far  as 
to  fuppofc*  that,  whatever  was  the  object  of  our 
creator  (and  he  mull  have  had  fome  object)  the 

growing 


Thofc  of  the  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.       291 

growing  knowledge,  and  confequent  improvement, 
of  the  rational  part  of  his  creation,  by  means  of 
that  knowledge,  muft  be  fubfervient  to  it,  and 
therefore  a  part  of  it. 

If  fuch  a  being  as  the  Supreme  be  happy,  and 
we  necefTarily  afcribe  this  perfefticn  to  him  who  is 
poflcrTed  of  infinite  wifdom  and  infinite  power,  it 
mull  confift  in,  or  be  derived  from,  fome  thing. 
In  other  and  plainer  terms,  he  muft  take  pleafure  in 
fome  thing.  We  all  agree  in  faying  it  muft  be  in 
contemplating  the  happinefs  of  his  creatures,  and 
efpecially  the  higher  orders  of  them.  Now,  wonld 
any  parent  be  as  well  pleafed  with  a  fucceflion  of 
children,  all  of  them  dying  after  they  had  attained 
the  age  of  three  or  four  years,  tho'  as  happy  as 
their  natures  would  admit  of  in  that  infantine  ft  ate, 
as  in  feeing  them  grow  up  to  manhood,  continually 
improving,  and  enjoying  fuperior  kinds  of  happi- 
nefs as  long  as  he  himfelf  lived. 

Now,  in  the  eye  of  the  Supreme  Being,  the 
longeft  lived  of  the  human  race,  even  the  antede- 
luvian  patriarchs,  are  but  as  infants  of  a  year  or  a 
month  old.  And  can  it  be  fuppofed  that  the  being 
who  produced  them,  and  confequently  had  what 
we  muft  call  an  affe&ion  for  them,  can  fee  them 
perifh  in  that  infantine  ftate  ?  muft  fuch  men  as 
Noah,  Abraham,  Mofes,  and  Jefus  ;  fuch  men 
AS  Socrates,  Plato,  and  Ariftotle ;  fuch  men  as  A- 

lexander 


292  The  Injtilittions  of  Mcfes  and 

lexander,  Julius  C<efar,  and  Charley  XII,  per- 
verted as  their  great  powers  were ;  fuch  men  as  Vol- 
taire, RouiFeau,  and  Hume,  whofe  powers  were 
more  perverted,  be  loft  forever  ;  while,  whatever 
was  the  ftate  of  their  minds  when  they  died,  their 
capacity  for  improvement  was  not  deftroyed  ? 

Let  me  add  farther,  in  purfuance  of  the  fame  a- 
nalogy,  pleafing,  and  I  hope  not  deceitful.  Does 
a  parent  take  particular  pleafure  in  rectifying  the 
miftakes  of  his  children,  in  teaching  them  what 
they  do  not  know,  bearing  with,  and  correcting, 
their  perverfe  humours  and  follies,  and  advancing 
them  in  all  refpe£ts  by  degrees  ;  and  will  there  not 
be  joy  in  Heaven,  to  adopt  the  language  of  the 
New  Tcftament  (Luke  xv.  7)  in  opening  the 
eyes  of  fuch  men  as  are  mentioned  above,  and  v  f- 
peciallyin  making  them,  after  the  example  of  Paul, 
the  in  ft  rum  en  ts  of  as  much  good  as  they  have  been 
of  evil,  to  their  fpecies  ?  They  have  already  fuf- 
ficient  power,  and  only  want  a  better  direction  of  it, 
in  facl:  more  knowledge.  In  the  eye  of  the  univer- 
fal  parent,  what  are  all  the  errors,  and  all  the  vices, 
of  men  in  this  life  more  than  the  faults  of  young 
children  in  ours  ?  We  do  not  love  them  the  lefs, 
but  are  more  affiduous  in  our  endeavours  to  correct 
and  improve  them,  tho'  the  rod  is  often  neceffary 
for  that  purpofe. 

No  perfon  who  contemplates  the  univerfe,  or 

any 


Theft  of  the  Hindoos,    &c.  compared.      293 

any  part  of  it,  can  fay  that  there  is  any  want  of 
power  in  the  author  of  it  to  effect  this  purpofe,  cr 
any  other  that  is  in  itfelf  proper  and  defirable.  That 
power  can  bring  all  the  perfons  above  mentioned, 
and  all  the  human  race,  on  the  ftage  of  exiftence 
and  a&ion  once  more.  And  if  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing has,  in  any  method  that  is  intelligible  to  us,  fig- 
nified  that  he  will  do  this,  can  we  doubt  the  ac- 
complimment  of  it  ?  The  end  is  worthy  of  the 
great  and  benevolent  father  of  all,  and  he  cannot 
want  the  means  of  effecting  it.  And,  according 
to  the  prcftnt  Rate  of  our  knowledge,  this  end 
cannot  be  accomplimed  in  any  other  way  than  by 
the  refurre&ion  of  mankind  at  fome  future  period. 
No  philofopher  will  fay  that  this  end  can  be  accom- 
plifhed  on  any  other  plan  of  which  we  have  any 
knowledge,  now  that  the  doclrine  of  an  immaterial 
foul,  capable  of  thinking  and  acting  independent- 
ly of  the  body,  is  exploded. 

Whether  the  Divine  Being  has  made  any  decla- 
ration of  this  kind  to  any  of  our  race,  to  be  by 
them  communicated  to  the  reft,  may,  no  doubt, 
be  afcertained  by  proper  evidence.  Any  fa6l  that 
is  the  object  of  our  fenfes  may  be  afcertained  by  hu- 
man teftimony.  Nothing,  therefore,  is  wanting  to 
our  rational  convi&ion  in  this  cafe  but  a  credible 
account  of  miracles  having  been  wrought  for  this 
purpofe.  For  this,  as  fomething  above  the  power 

of 


291  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

of  man,  and  what  can  only  be  performed  by  the 
power  or  permiflion  of  God,  is  the  only  feal  of  a 
divine  commiGion.  And  if  the  hiflory  of  Jefus,  as 
contained  in  the  writings  of  the  Evangelifts,  be  true, 
this  has  been  done  in  the  fullefl  and  moll  fatisfac- 
tory  manner  poflible. 

Now  let  the  evidence  of  the  facts  recited  in  the 
gofpel  hiflory,  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apoftles,  be 
fubjeftcd  to  die  moft  rigorous  examination,  accord- 
ing to  the  well  known  rules  for  eftimating  the  va- 
lue of  human  teilimony  ;  and  certainly  the  ob- 
ject is  deferving  of  it.  The  man  who  does  not 
feel  a  deep  interefl  in  the  inquiry  muft  have  a 
mind  exceedingly  debafed,  and  deferve  to  be  rank- 
ed, as  indeed  he  ranks  himfelf,  with  the  brutes  that 
perifh. 

5.  We  fee  in  the  hiftory  of  the  Hindoo  infli- 
tution  the  a6lual  power   of  religion  on  the  minds 
of  men.      For,  unqueftionabiy,   nothing  but  the 
firmeft  perfuafion  of  the  reality  of  what  is  net  f fen 
could  make   the   Hindoos  fubmit  to  the  dreadful 
aufterities  which  are  daily   practiced    by  many  of 
them,  both  men  and  women;  expofing  themfelves 
to  certain  and  torturing  deaths,  as  has  been  their  cuf- 
tom  from  time  immemorial. 

6.  We  fee  by  the  Hindoos  that  accounts   of 
divine  interpofitions  do  not  neceffaitly,  or  natural- 
ly, appear  incredible  to  men.     According  to  them, 

their 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  C£c.  compared.       295 

their  god  Vichnou  has  appeared  in  various  forms, 
to  fuit  himfelf  to  the  exigencies  of  the  world,  and 
he  is  flill  to  appear  in  others.  So  the  people  of 
Lyilra  took  Barnabas  to  be  Jupiter,  and  Paul  to 
be  Mercury,  the  moment  they  faw  fomething  a- 
bove  human  power  performed  by  them,  A&s.  xiv, 

12. 

It  has  been  the  belief  of  the  great  bulk  of  man- 
kind in  all  ages,  that,  befide  the  vinble  caufes  of 
events,  there  is  an  agency  of  invifible  ones  in  all 
the  affairs  of  men.  Nothing  is  more  evidently  ow- 
ing to  the  exertion  of  human  power  and  (kill  than 
the  favourable  iifue  of  battles ;  and  yet  the  event 
has  fo  often  been  the  reverfe  of  what  was  expe&ed 
from  all  the  known  previous  circumflances,  that 
in  all  ages  men  have  depended  as  much  on  the  aid 
of  fome  divinity,  as  on  the  number  and  valour  of 
the  troops,  or  the  fkill  of  the  commander ;  and 
the  god  of  batiks  has  always  been  worfhipped  with 
peculiar  devotion. 

That  mankind  are  not  naturally  or  univerfally 
incredulous  on  the  fubjeft  of  religion,  is  evident 
even  from  the  condu6l  of  fome  who  have  been  the 
moft  incredulous  with  refpecl  to  the  Jewifh  and 
Chriflian  revelations ;  fince  they  have  been  firm 
believers  in  other  religions,  and  thofe  the  moft  ab- 
furd.  The  emperors  Marcus  Aurelius  and  Julian, 
the  great  boafis  of  modern  unbelievers,  for  their 

fuperior 


296  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs  and 

fuperior  underflanding  and  virtue,  were  flaves  to 
their  own  fuperftition,  now  univerfally  exploded. 
Julian  facrificed  fo  many  horned  cattle,  that  it 
was  commonly  laid  that  if  he  reigned  long  the  breed 
would  fail;  and  he  gave  into  the  abfurd  practices 
of  divination  and  necromancy.  The  moil  emi- 
nent philofophers  of  that  age,  the  later  Plato- 
nifls,  believed  themfelves  to  have  fupernatural  illu- 
minations, and  they  practiced  various  rites  with  a 
view  to  procure  them. 

It  is  reported,  and  I  doubt  not  with  truth,  that 
fome  modern  unbelievers  have  been  afraid  of  being 
in  the  dark,  and  that  in  gaming  they  have  dif  covered 
a  prop  en  fity  to  faith  in  thatnonentityybr/ww*  ;  think- 
ing that  fuccefs  depended  on  trifling  circumflances 
which  could  have  no  more  relation  to  it  than  the 
flight  of  a  bird  in  the  Roman  auguries.  How  then 
can  it  be  faid  that  religion  is  either  incredible,  or  an 
unfuitablc  inftrument  with  which  to  work  on  the 
minds  of  men  ?  and  why  may  it  not  be  employed 
by  the  Divine  Being,  who,  as  he  made  men,  mud 
know  what  they  are,  to  anfwer  his  great  and  bene- 
volent purpofes  with  refpecl;  to  them. 

Philofophy,  it  will  be  faid,  fhews  the  folly  of 
believing  in  the  interpofition  of  any  invifiblc  jibw- 
ers  with  refpecl  to  the  event  of  a  battle,  and  the 
affairs  of  men  in  general ;  fince  they  evidently  de- 
pend on  the  previous  circumflances,  tho'  they  are 


Thoftcf  tlit  Hindoos,  &c.  compared.      297 

not  always  known  at  the  time,  and  that  our  igno- 
rance of  this  fufficiently  accounts  for  the  event  not 
always  correfponding  to  the  previous  expectation 
of  the  mod  fagacious  of  men.  But  then  a  higher 
phiiofophy,  and  no  lefs  true,  teaches  us  that  all  thefe 
previous  circumftances  were  forefeen,  and  intend- 
ed, by  that  mind  which  planned,  and  which  fuper* 
intends,  the  whole  fyftem  of  nature  ;  and  therefore 
that  there  is  a  providence,  particular  as  well  as  ge- 
neral, refpe&ing  all  the  affairs  of  men,  and  confe* 
quently  a  real  foundation  for  religion. 

An  attention  to  the  analogies  in  nature  will  teach 
us  that  a  Being  TV  ho  thought  proper,  for  whatever 
reafons,  to  make  the  world,  and  to  place  f'uch  crea» 
tares  as  men  in  it,  mufl  have  fuSicient  reafon  for 
giving  conftant  attention  to  them  ;  and  if  on  their 
part  an  attention  to  him,  and  to  his  providence,  be 
of  any  ufs  to  men,  with  refpecl;  to  his  final  object, 
he  would  take  the  moft  proper  method  to  engage 
that  attention.     No\v  this  attention  is   evidently 
more  effectually  gained  by  occafional,  than  by  con- 
flant  and  uniform,  appearances.   How  few  perfons 
give  any  attention  to  the  regular  rifing  and  fetting 
of  the  fun,  the  periodical  returns  of  fumrner  and 
winter,  and   other  conftant  appearances,  fo  as  to 
make  any  inquiry  into  the  caufes  of  them ;  when 
they  are  firuck  in  the  moft   forcible   manner  by 
ilorms,  earthquakes,  and  other  uncommon  and  ir- 

N  n  regular 


298  The  Injlitutions  of  Mofes  and 

regular  appearances.  And  yet  the  great  author  of 
nature  is  as  much  concerned  in  the  one  as  in  the 
other.  They  muft,  therefore,  know  little  of  hu- 
man nature  who  think  that  divine  interpofitions 
are  an  improper  means  of  conveying  inftru&ion  to 
man.  And  yet  thefe  are  the  perfons  who  call 
themfeives  exclulively  philofcphers. 

To  a  truly  philofophical,  or  refleding  mind  it 
will,  no  doubt,  appear,  that  we  are  equally  depen- 
dant upon  God  for  what  is  imparted  originally, 
and  provided  for  in  the  ufual  courfe  of  nature,  as 
for  what  is  imparted  occafionally  ;  but  mankind  in 
general,  we  fee,  in  facl,  are  not  fo  apt  to  be  im- 
prcjfed  by  it,  and  therefore  an  habitual  fenfe  of  our 
dependance  upon  God  (which  is  of  the  greatefl  ufe 
to  the  moral  improvement  of  man). is  better  gain- 
ed by  that  fyftem  which  is  bed  calculated  to  remind 
man  of  that  dependance,  then  by  one  that  is  lefs 
adapted  to  gain  that  end.  A  wife  parent,  who 
wifhes  to  have  his  child  fenfible  of  his  dependanec 
upon  him,  and  his  obligation  to  him,  will  not  give 
him  his  whole  fortune  at  once,  and  thereby  make 
himindependantofhimfelf,  and  his  future  bounty. 
And  does  not  the  fame  reafon,  in  the  nature  of 
things  and  of  man,  apply  to  the  cafe  of  our  uni- 
verfal  parent  ?  On  this  account,  therefore,  as  well 
as  others,  revealed  religion  it  a  better  fyftem,  more 
adapted  to  Lmqjan  nature,  than  that  which  is  term- 
ed 


Thofe  of  the  Hindoos,  S3c.  compared.       299 

ed  natural,  could  the  principles  of  it  be  ever  fo 
eafily  and  clearly  afccrtained,  which  they  by  no 
means  are, 

Infuperable  difficulties  occur  to  us  in  the  confi- 
deration  tho'  not  of  the  being  of  God,  yet  in  that  of 
his  moral  attributes,  and  the  maxims  of  his  moral 
government,  from  the  mere  light  of  nature ;  and 
no  light  at  all  could  we,  from  this  fource  of  know- 
ledge, get  into  a  future  ftate  of  exiflencc.  Confe- 
quently,  if  the  proper  nde  of  life  could  be  difcov- 
ered,  a  fufficient  motive  to  the  practice  of  it  would 
be  wanting.  Now  revelation  fupplies  both  thefe 
defecls,  and  leaves  us  at  no  lofs  whatever,  cither 
with  refpecl  to  what  we  muft  do  to  fecure  the  favour 
of  our  Maker  here,  or  our  happinefs  hereafter,- 


REMARKS 


REMARKS 

O   tf 

MR.  DUPUIS's  ORIGIN 

OF    ALL 

RELIGIONS. 


•Sobrius  erg9 


Die   all  quid  dignum  promij/is.     Incipe.     Nil  eft. 

HORACE. 


THE   INTRODUCTION^ 

HPHIS  work  of  Mr.  Dupuis's  is  certainly  the 
-••  mod  extraordinary  produ&ion  of  the  prefent, 
or  of  any  preceding  age,  and  the  in  plus  ultra  of  in- 
fidelity. For  after  giving  his  opinion  that  the  five 
books  of  Mofes  are  a  mere  Arabian  tale,  by  which 
he  muft  mean  a  fictitious  ftory,  that  the  whole  of 
the  evangelical  hiflory  is  another  fi&ion,  that  no 
fuch  perfons  as  Jacob  and  his  twelve  fons,  or 
Chrift  and  his  twelve  apoftles,  ever  exilled,  but 
were  intended  to  denote  the  fun,  and  the  twelve 
figns  of  the  Zodiac,  nothing  more  contrary  to  tha 
opinion  of  all  mankind  hitherto  can  be  alTerted. 

Yet 


3O2  Remarks  en  Mr.  Dupuis's 

Yet  with  this  extreme  of  dogmatifm  Mr.  Du- 
puis  pretends  to  advance  no  opinion  of  his  own. 
"  I  analize,"  he  fays,  (Preface,  p.  7,)  "the  opini- 
ons of  others,  but  am  careful  not  to  give  any  of  my 
own.  I  am  only  the  hiftorian  of  the  opinions  of  other 
perfons."  But  where  can  we  find  the  ftrange  opin- 
ions that  I  have  recited?  That  there  never. was 
fix:h  a  perfon  as  Jefus  Chrift  has,  indeed,  been 
advanced  by  Mr.  Volney  ;  but  he  does  not  quote 
Mr.  Volney  for  it ;  and  it  is  commonly  faid  that 
Mr.  Volney  had  this  opinion  from  Mr.  Dupuis,  and 
not  Mr.  Dupuis  from  him.  Does  Mr.  Dupuis 
give  no  opinion  of  his  own  when  he  fays,  ib.  p.  8, 
"  I  fhall  not  fpeak  of  revealed  religion,  becaufe  there 
neither  is,  nor  can  be,  any  fuch  thing  ?"  Others, 
no  doubt, "have  faid  the  fame;  but  does  Mr.  Du- 
puis give  noxopinion  of  his  own,  when  he  avowed- 
ly adopts  that  of  other  perfons. 

Mr.  Dupuis  is  as  little  fatisfied  with  the  ene- 
mies, as  with  the  friends,  of  revealed  religion  ; 
thinking  that  they  have  not  gone  on  fufficiently 
good  ground  in  their  attacks  upon  it.  "  The  phi- 
lofophers  of  our  days/'  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  7,  "  arc 
lefo  credulous  than  the  common  people,  but  they 
are  not  better  informed ;"  meaning  that  they  had 
not  a  fufficient  flock  of  learning,  and  of  acquaint- 
ance with  antiquity,  to  refute  it  on  folid  principles. 
He  has,  therefore,  taken  quite  new  ground,  and,  no 

doubt, 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  303 

doubt,  thinks  that  he  has  by  this  means  done  what 
they  were  not  able  to  do.  And  a  work  that  bears 
more  marks  of  deep  erudition,  more  ingenuity,  or 
more  labour,  tho'  accompanied  with  little  judg- 
ment, has  hardly  ever  appeared.  But  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  with  Feflus  concerning  Paul,  Acls 
xxvi.  24,  that  much  learning  has  made  him  mad, 
and  deprived  him  of  the  ufe  of  his  reafoning  pow- 
ers. This  mufl  either  be  his  cafe,  or  that  of  all 
the  world  befi'des,  and  whether  he  be  right  or 
wrong,  he  will  be  outvoted.*  We  mufl  either 
adopt  this  hypothecs,  or  fay  that  his  work  is  a  mere 
jeu  d'  efprit,  that  he  was  not  in  earnefl  in  writing 
it,  but  wiflied  to  make  an  experiment,  how  far  con- 
fident aiTcrtion,  and  an  appearance  of  deep  learn- 
ing, accompanied  with  ingenuity,  could  go  in  irn- 
pofmg  on  the  world.  But  this  work  is  too  largey 
and  too  dull,  to  be  a  jeu  d'  efprit.  The  other  hypo- 
thefis,  therefore,  which  is  the  only  alternative  in 
the  cafe,  is  the  more  probable  of  the  two.  For  if 
he  be  in  earneft,-  his  mind  mufl  have  fuffered  a  con- 
iiderable  degree  of  derangement. 


*  When  Lee  the  tragedian  was  in  a  madhoufe, 
wasafked  by  a  ftrangcr  how  he  came  there,  he  faid  he  was 
outvoted.  Being  deftred  to  explain  himfclf,  he  replied;, 
"  I  faid  the  world  was  mad,  and  the  world  faid  I  was  mad* 
and  tbey  outvoted  me," 

SECTION 


304  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuu's 


SECTION      I. 

Of  the  Argument  concerning  the  Being  of  a  God. 

Til  A  T  Mr.  Dupuis  is  an  unbeliever  in  the 
bsing  of  a  God,  is  equally  evident  with  his 
being  an  unbeliever  in  revelation,  tho'  he  afTerts 
the  contrary.  "  Does  there  exift,"  he  fays  (Pre- 
face, p.  7)  "  a  God,  a  fupreme  caufe,  living,  in- 
telligent, omnipotent,  eternal  and  incomprehenfi- 
ble  by  man.  This  I  do  not  examine,  becaufe  it  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  clear,  and  becaufe  it  does  not  en- 
ter into  the  plan  of  my  work/'  But  he  fays,  ib. 
p.  10,  "  There  is  nothing  but  the  univerfe  itfelf  that 
can  correfpond  to  the  immenfe  idea  which  the 
name  of  God  prefents  to  us." 

To  fhew  the  abfurdity  of  the  common  opinion 
concerning  the  being  of  "  a  God,  eternal,  and  in- 
vifible,  the  caufe  of  all  things."  Mr.  Dupuis  fays 
vol.  i,  p.  2.  "  It  was  natural  for  man,  in  tracing 
the  caufes  of  things,  to  ftop  where  (fctls  feem  to 
ceafe,  and  where  thejjeing  takes  a  character  differ- 
ent from  thofe  that  are  fubordinate  to  it ;  and  this 
is  nature.  It  was  natural  to  go  to  the  tree,  in  in- 
quiring into  the  caufe  of  t\\z  fruit,  and  to  the  earth 
«.  the  caufe  of  the  tree,  both  of  them  being  produ- 
ced 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

eed  and  re-produced,  and  evidently  cffefts.  But 
the  feries  of  production  and  re-production  feems  to 
ftop  at  the  earth,  which  has  no  character  like  that 
which  is  produced  and  tranlitory.  There  alfo  ter- 
minate the  refearches  of  men  with  refpect  to  the 
progreflion  of  caufes.  For  we  muft  flop  fome- 
where.  An  infinite  progreffion  of  caufes  is  an  ab- 
furdity,  and  fince  we  muft  ftop  fomcwhere,  why 
go  beyond  the  boundary  where  we  fee  it  to  ter- 
minate." 

Of  all  the  methods  of  dating  the  argument  a- 
gainft  the  being  of  a  God,  this  is,  mrely,  the  mod 
palpably  defective.  If  any  thing  in  argumentation 
be  more  evident  than  another,  it  is  that  the  caufc 
muft  be  equal  to  the  effect.  Miijl  not  he  that  form- 
ed the  eye  fee,  Ps.  xciv.  9,  and  he  that  gave  under- 
jtanding  to  man  himfelf  underftaud.  An  effect  in 
which  there  are  evident  marks  of  defign.  muft  have 
a  defigning,  or  intelligent,  caufe;  and  are  there 
not  marks  of  defign  in  the  tree,  as  well  as  in  its  fruit  ? 
The  ftruclure  of  the  moft  infignificant  plant  ex- 
ceeds the  comprehenfion  of  any  man ;  and  yet  we 
are  to  look  no  farther  for  the  caufe  of  this  exquifite 
production  than  the  earth,  in  which  it  grows,  and 
which  difcovers  no  mark  of  intelligence  at  all,  nay 
is  more  remote  from  it  than  the  plant  itfelf.  If  we 
take  in  the  whole  of  the  earth,  with  all  its  lands, 
fv£5;  rivers,  and  mountains,  we  perceive  no 

O  o  more 


oo6  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuns 

more  appearance  of  an  intelligent  principle  re- 
Tiding  in  it  than  in  a  fmgle  (tone;  and  if  we, 
farther,  take  in  the  whole  folar  fyflem,  the  fun, 
moon,  and  ftars,  we  make  no  nearer  approach  to 
the  idea  of  intelligence.  Thefe  are  even  more  evi- 
dently ej/ects,  and  their  arrangement,  and  the  laws 
to  which  they  are  fubjecl;,  evidently  fuppofe  a  fu- 
perior  and  dcfigning  caufe.  And  if  this  caufe  be 
not  vifible,  it  muft  be  ibmething  that  is  invifible  to 
us.  It  is  not  more  evident  that  the  fruit  implies  a 
tree,  which  Mr.  Dupuis  allows,  than  that  the  whole 
fyftein  implies  this  caufe.  And  iince  nothing  that 
isjinite  is  equal  to  the  effect,  it  mufl  be  a  Being 
that  is  infinite,  and  likewife  eternal.  For  every 
pcrfon  mufl  allow,  that  if  ever  there  had  been  a 
time  in  which  nothing  exifled,  nothing  could 
ever  have  exifted.  Difficult,  therefore,  as  it  is,  to 
conceive  the  exiftence  of  fuch  a  being,  we  are  left 
in  an  infinitely  greater  difficulty  without  the  fup- 
pofition. 

It  would  follow  from  Mr.  .Dupuis's  mode  of  rea- 
foning,  that  provided  any  perfon  had  no  opportu- 
nity of  looking  into  a  watch,  6*r  of  feeing  the  per- 
fon who  wound  it  up,  it  would  be  reafonable  for 
him  to  conclude  that  it  was  a  felf-exiflent  and  a  felf- 
moving  machine.  For  what  is  the  whole  vifible 
fyflem  of  the  univerfe  but  a  machine,  the  flruclure, 
and  the  maker,  of  which  we  do  not  fee  ?  Dees  a 

telefcops 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  %QJ 

require  a  maker,  and  the  eye  require  none  ? 
Or  could  the  earth,  together  with  the  fun,  moon 
and  ftars  make  either  an  eye,  or  a  telefcope. 

Provided,  however,  that  what  is  vifible  in  the 
univerfe  in  general,  or  the  earth  only,  nay  a  fingle 
ftone  in  it,  can  be  conceived  to  be  poflefled  of  in- 
telligence, and  the  other  attributes  of  divinity,  the 
efFe6fc  upon  the  mind  would  be  the  fame  as  if  they 
were  afcribed  to  any  thing  that  is  invifible  ;  be- 
caufe  they  are  the  attributes  of  divinity  by  which 
the  mind  is  imprefled,  and  not  any  fubjlance  in 
which  they  are  fuppofed  to  inhere.  If  I  really 
believe  that  any  being  whatever  was  the  author  of 
my  exiftence,  that  he  fupports  me  in  life,  gives 
conflant  attention  to  me,  prefcribes  to  me  a 
rule  of  conduct,  and  will  reward  or  punifh 
me  for  my  obfervance  or  neglecl;  of  it,  this  faith 
will  have  the  fame  practical  effeft,  whether  it  be 
any  thing  vifible  or  invifible  that  is  pofTefTed  of" 
thcfe  powers.  But  it  appears  to  me  that  there  is  - 
an  infuperable  difficulty  in  conceiving  that  thefe 
powers  can  be  pofTcfled  by  any  thing  that  is  the 
object  of  our  fenfes  ;  and  therefore  to  pretend,  with 
Mr.  Dupuis,  that  there  is  no  other  being  to  whom 
we  have  to  look  than  the  earth  is  in  effect  to  adopt 
the  principles  of  abfolute  atheifm. 

The  belief  of  a  God,  as  the  maker  and  governor  of 
die  world  greatly  facilitates  the  belief  of  revelation. 

FOJ 


308  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis's 

For  if  the  laws  of  nature  be  conceived  to  be  nothing 
but  the  appointment  of  God,  or,  in  faft,  the  mode 
in  which  he  himfelf  conftantly  operates,  from  A 
general  preference  of  that  particular  mode  of  a&ion, 
as  befl  calculated  to  anfwer  the  purpofes  that  he 
has  in  view,  it  is  not  difficult  to  conceive  that  his 
choice  of  a  mode  of  aclion  may  change  with  cir- 
cumftances,  and  that,  tho'  in  general  he  chufes  to 
a£t  in  an  uniform  manner,  he  may  fee  fufficient 
reafon  occafionally  to  depart  from  it ;  becaufe  this 
is  what  we  frequently  obferve  in  thofc  men  whofc 
general  conduct  is  the  mod  uniform  ;  and  it  is  na- 
tural to  judge  concerning  one  intelligent  agent 
by  another,  tho'  the  difference  in  rank  be  ever  fo 
great. 

Mr.  Dupuis  evidently  confidcrs  all  accounts 
offupernaturalinterpofition  as  abfolutely  incredi- 
ble. But  the  readinefs  with  which  fuch  inter- 
pofitions  have  been  believed  by  all  mankind,  in  all 
ages,  amounts  almofl  to  a  proof  that  there  have  been 
fuch  interpofitions.  A  philofopher  Ihould  inquire 
whence  this  credulity,  or  pronenefs  to  believe  in 
this  cafe,  could  have  arifen.  Like  every  other  ef- 
fect, it  muft  have  been  generated  by  fome  ade- 
quate caufe,  as  alfo  is  the  prevailing  incredulity  in 
modern  times.  As  this  arifes,  in  a  certain  ftate  of 
mind,  from  men's  having  no  experience  of  any  fuch 
thing,  and,  from  their  want  of  faith  in  the  tefti- 

mony 


Origin  of  dl  Religions.  309 

mony  of  others,  the  reverfe  of  this  muft  have  arif- 
en  from  fuch  experience  either  in  themfelves,  or  in 
thofs  perfons  whofe  veracity  they  favv  no  reafon- 
able  caufe  to  doubt. 

It  is  ufual,  tho*  it  is  very  unphilofophical,  to 
fay  that  the  vulgar  may  eafily  be  made  to  believe  any 
thing.  But  it  mould  be  confidered  what  things  they 
are  eafily  made  to  believe.  They  are  only  things 
analogous  to  their  prefent  belief.  In  other  refpc&S, 
the  vulgar  are  the  leaft  credulous,  and  the  moft  at- 
tached to  the  principles  they  hold.  For  this  reafon 
all  ancient  opinions  and  practices  remain  the  long- 
eft  with  the  common  people  in  all  countries,  and 
innovations  always  begin  with  perfons  of  a  philofo- 
phical  or  fpeculative  turn,  the  free  and  bold  think- 
ers of  the  age ;  and  thefe  are  never  numerous. 
They  are  thofe  who  readily  fee  remote  analogies  of 
things,  by  means  of  which  new  and  unexpected  truths 
are  difcovered.  Such  perfons  are  often  too  apt  to 
pride  themfelves  in  departing  from  the  fentiments 
and  practices  of  the  vulgar,  whom  they  fometimcs 
treat  with  undeferved  contempt. 

We  muflnot  forget  that  the  minds  of  all  men, 
the  vulgar  or  the  fpeculative,  are  mechanical  things ; 
and  that  neither  particular  opinions,  nor  a  difpofi- 
tion  to  form  or  retain  them,  are  produced  without 
a  caufe,  which  it  is  the  budnefs  of  philofophy  to 
invefligate  ;  and  nothing  is  more  unphilofophical 

than 


310  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupids's 

than  indifcriminate  exclamations  againfl  whole  bo- 
dies of  men,  the  vulgar,  barbarians,  Negroes,  Jews, 
&c.  &c.  as  univerfally  ftupid,  and  men  whofe  opin- 
ions it  is  not  worth  our  while  to  inquire  about,  QT 
to  account  for. 


SECTION      II. 

Of  the  Age  of  the  World. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  Mr.  Dupuis's  declara- 
tion, that  he  had  no  opinion  of  his  own  to 
advance,  no  man  living  has  advanced  more  extra- 
ordinary ones,  and  fuch  as,  I  believe,  are  peculiar 
to  himfelf.  One  of  them  is  concerning  the  great 
antiquity  of  aftronomical  obfervations,  and  confe- 
quently  of  civilization,  and  the  origin  of  mankind. 
"  The.epocha  of  the  invention  of  the  Zodiac,"  he 
fays,  vol.  3.  p.  365,  "  goes  farther  back  than  the 
time  fixed  by  our  chronologers  for  the  creation  of 
the  world,  which  I  am  far  from  believing.  For 
it  appear^  to  me  to  have  been  eternal."  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Dupuis,  vol.  3,  p.  367,  "  the  origin 
of  aftronomy  was  fourteen  or  fifteen  thoufand  years 
before  the  chriftian  aera.  Of  this/'  he  fays,  p.  365, 
"  the  argument  from  the  Zodiac  is  a  kind  of  de- 

monftration, 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  311 

monftration,  unlefs  we  fuppofe  that  the  figns  had 
their  names  given  them  at  random,  without  any 
deiign." 

His  object  in  this  argument  was,  no  doubt, 
to  invalidate  the  hiflory  of  Mofes,  according  to 
which  the  origin  of  civilization,  and  of  mankind, 
could  not  have  been  much  more  than  four  or  five 
thoufand  years  before  our  aera,  which  is  more  than 
ten  thoufand  years  fhort  of  the  date  that  Mr.  Du- 
puis  afligns  to  it.  But  whatever  miftake  Mofes 
may  have  fallen  into  with  refpecl  to  this  fubjecl;,  or 
any  events  a  thoufand  years  before  his  own  time,  he 
may  have  been  a  competent  witnefs  of  what  pafTed 
under  his  own  eye;  fo  that  it  was  hardly  worth 
Mr.  Dupuis's  while  to  take  fo  much  pains  witli 
the  fubjecl.  Since,  however,  his  argument  is  curi- 
ous, I  mail  give  a  little  attention  to  it. 

It  is  founded  on  the  idea  which  has  been  pretty 
generally  entertained,  tho'  without  any  direct  proof, 
that  the  names  of  the  twelve  figns  of  the  Zodiac 
relate  to  the  feafons  of  the  year,  and  the  labours  ©f 
agriculture.  But  it  was  farther  neceffary  to  Mr. 
Dupuis's  purpofe,  that  the  obfervations  fhould  have 
been  made,  and  the  names  given,  in  Egypt.  He 
therefore  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  324,  that  ci  the  general 
fuppofition  concerning  the  origin  of  thefc  names 
could  not  be  demonfirated  for  want  of  going  back, 
by  means  of  the  preccflion  of  the  equinoxes,  to  an 

epoch a 


312  Remarks  en  Mr,  Dupuiss 

epocha  fufficiently  diftant."  But  going  back  to 
the  time  when  the  equinox  was  in  Libra,  fix  figns 
diflant  from  Aries,  which  is  commonly  fuppoled 
to  be  the  earliefl  time  that  is  known  to  hiftory  or 
even  to  fable,  "  this  new  pofition  of  the  fphere," 
he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  329,  "  puts  every  thing  into  its 
place  and  becomes  a  ftricl:  calendar  of  the  climate 
of  Egypt*  exclufive  of  every  other  country"  and 
CJ  to  Egypt,"  he  fays,  p.  325,  "  we  muft  look  for  the 
origin  of  the  conftellations." 

Tho'  the  opinion  of  the  names  of  the  figns  hav- 
ing a  relation  to  the  feafons  of  the  year  be  merely 
conjectural,  for  we  have  nohiflorical  account  of  it, 
it  is  not  deflitute  of  probability.  Libra,  or  a  pair  of 
fcales,  may  very  well  denote  the  equal  baknce  of 
day  and  night,  fuppofmg  neither  of  the  fcales  to  pre- 
ponderate. Alfo  fince  Capricorn,  or  the  wildgoat, 
naturally  gets  into  the  moil  elevated  lituations, 
browzing  on  what  he  can  find  on  the  higheft  moun- 
tains, it  was  thought  to  fuit  the  place  in  the  hea- 
vens from  which  the  fun  begins  to  afcend  from  the 
fouthern  to  the  northern  tropic.  And  the  crab  be- 
ing an  animal  that  goes  backwards,  it  was  thought 
to  fuit  that  tropic  from  which  the  fun  begins  to 
defcend,  and  return  to  his  former  place.  And  the 
ihecp  being  turned  into  the  frefh  pailures  in  the 
fpring,  was  thought  to  be  well  exprefied  by  the 
iign  Arits,  which  the  fun  enters  at  that  time  of  the 

year. 


Origin  oj  all  Religions. 

year.  Tims  the  flate  of  the  heavens  was  thought 
to  give  a  propriety  to  the  names  that  have  been  fix- 
ed to  the  figns  belonging  to  the  equinoxes,  and  the 
twofoljlices ;  and  as  the  conflellation  Virgo  has  an 
ear  of  corn  in  her  hand,  it  was  thought  to  fuit  the 
autumn,  which  isN  generally  the  time  of  harveft, 
when  the  fun  enters  that  fign. 

But  this  by  no  means  fatisfies  Mr.  Dupuis^  be- 
caufe  it  does  not  fuit  the  climate  of  Egypt.  "  The 
goat,"  he  fays,  (vol.  3,  p.  326,  330)  "  always  af- 
cends  to  the  higheft  place,  and  therefore  more  na- 
turally denotes  the  fummer  than  the  winter  folftice. 
The  labour  of  the  plow  in  Egypt  is  in  November, 
and  their  harveft  is  in  March  ;  and  it  is  only  to- 
wards the  end  of  Auguft  that  the  fun  enters  Vir- 
go," vol.  3,  p.  328.  He  farther,  with  much  in- 
genuity, obferves,  that  "  Aquarius  naturally  de- 
notes the  inundation  of  Egypt,  by  the  overflowing 
of  the  Nile,  which  is  after  the  fummer  folftice," 
vol.  3,  p.  330.  "  Alfo,  anciently  the  fign  of  Ca- 
pricorn had  a  fifti  annexed  to  it,  to  fliew  that  after 
the  fummer  folftice  the  Nile  begins  to  overflow, 
p.  331.  After  the  inundation,  the  ground  being 
too  foft  for  the  plow,  the  fheep  are  turned  into  the 
freih  paftures,  denoted  by  the  fign  of  the  ram, 
which  the  fun  at  that  time  enters,  p.  334.  The 
plowing  commences  after  this,  when  the  fun  enters 
Taurtts,  the  bull  being  ufed  for  that  purpofe.  The 

P  p  rapid 


314  Remarks  on   Mr.  Dupuiss 

rapid  produ&ion  of  vegetables  immediately  after- 
wards," he  fays  "  was  denoted  by  the  Twins,  or 
according  to  the  old  fpheres,  two  young  goats,  ib. 
The  crab  naturally  marked  the  retroceffion  of  the 
fun  after  the  winter  folftice,  ib.  and  a  month  after 
this  folftice  the  fun's  acquiring  great  power  was  fig- 
niiied  by  the  Lion,  vol.  3,  p.  336.  And  thehar- 
veil  beginning  in  March  was  then  denoted  by  tht 
virgin,  with  her  ear  of  corn,"  p.  337. 

There  is  certainly  much  ingenuity  in  thefc  obfer- 
vations,    but   they  amount  to  nothing  more  than  a 
probability  in  favour  of    Mr.  Dupuis's  argument, 
and  his  fupeiftruclure  is  tco  great  to  reft  withfafety 
on  fo  flight  a  foundation.     And,  numerous  as  his 
circumftances  of  probability  are,    they  are  much 
more  than  balanced  by  another  circumflance  of  ex- 
treme improbability,  and  one  to  which  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  Mr.  Dupuis  has  given  theleaft  attention, 
which  is,  that  mankind  mould  have  advanced  what 
he  confiders   as  a   great  ftep  in  fcience,   viz.   the 
obfervation  of  the  fun's  courfe  in  the  heavens,  the 
divifion  of  the  Zodiac  into  twelve  figns,  and  the 
giving  names  to  them,  and  the  other  conflellations, 
on  fcientific  principles,   and  yet  have  made  no  far- 
ther advances  in  more  than  ten  thoufand  years  af- 
ter this. 

The  firfl  Heps  in  fcience  are  generally  the  mod 
difficult,,  and  one  great  difcovery  naturally  prepares 

the 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  3 1 5 

the  way  for  others ;  whereas,  according  to  Mr.  Du- 
puis,  after  arranging  the  Zodiac,  neither  philofo- 
phers,  nor  indeed  mankind,  at  large,  left  the  lead 
trace  of  their  exiftence  in  the  immenfe  tracl  of  time 
aj>ovementioned,  either  in  facred  or  profane  hifto- 
ry.  For,  independently  of  the  writings  of  Mofes, 
all  the  hiflories  that  have  come  down  to  us,  or  of 
which  we  have  any  account,  mew  that  mankind,  at 
leaft  that  civilization,  (and  Mr.  Dupuis's  hypothe- 
fis  fuppofes  a  very  advanced  ftate  of  it)  cannot  be 
older  than  he  reprefentsit  to  have  been. 

The  Chaldeans,  according  to  all  accounts,  vied 
with  the  Egyptians  with  refpecl:  to  the  antiquity  of 
their  aftronomical  obfervations,    and  Mr.    Dupuis 
himfelffays,  vol.  3,  p.  341,  that  "  their  obfervati- 
ons reached  no  farther  than  two  thoufand  years  be- 
fore the  chriftian  aera."     At  the  earlieft  period  of 
true  or  probable  hiflory,  the  world  was  very  thin- 
ly inhabited,  except  fome  parts  of  Alia  and  Egypt. 
All  beyond  was  rude  and  barbarous,  men  living  in 
ftate  but  little  above  that  of  brutes.     This  was  clear- 
ly the  cafe  with  Greece,  which  is  not  very  diftant 
from  Afia,    and   where  the   climate  is  remarkably 
fine,   and  every  thing  favourable  to  improvements. 
In  a  few  centuries,  however,  the  Greeks  advanced 
from  this  rude  ftate  to  thegreateft  civilization.  This 
is  natural,  and  fufficiently  agreeable  to  more  recent 
facts,  fuch  as  are  furnifhed  by  the  hiflories  of  Mex- 
ico 


316  Remarks  en  Mr.  Dupuis's 

Ico  and  Peru.  But  that  no  advances  whatever,  of 
which  any  trace  can  be  difcovercd,  fhoulcl  be  made 
not  only  in  the  arts  of  life,  but  even  in  the  multi- 
plication of  the  fpecies,  for  the  fpace  of  ten  thou- 
fand  years,  is  altogether  incredible,  whatever  tl^ 
Zodiac  may  fay  to  the  contrary.  Compared  to  this, 
the  legend  of  thefevenjleepers  was  a  poor  fiction. 
They  were  but  feven  perfons,  and  a  dog,  and  only 
ilept  about  three  hundred  years ;  but  here  all  man- 
kind, men,  women  and  children,  and  all  the  dogs 
and  cattle  tgo,  muft  have  fiept  without  interrupti- 
on more  than  ten  thoufand  years. 

According  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  the  oldeft  fyftern  of 
religious  worfhip  was  adopted  when  the  equinox 
Was  in  Taurus,  whence  arofe  the  worfhip  of  the  fun, 
under  the  form  of  a  bull,  or  calf  ;  and  when,  in  the 
courfe  of  the  preceflion  of  the  equinoxes,  it  was  in 
Aries,  the  fymbol  of  the  ram.  or  the  lamb,  was 
introduced.  But  had  mankind  no  worfhip  at  all  in 
the  long  interval  of  many  thoufand  years  that  elap- 
fed  from  the  time  that  the  equinox  was  in  Libra,  to 
its  arrival  in  Taurus  ?  Why  do  we  not  find  fome 
trace  of  the  fc 'ales,  as  an  emblem  of  the  deity  ?  All 
thefigns,  furely,  from  Libra  to  Taurus,  mud;  have 
had  their  turns  in  this  fyrnbolical  worfhip  of  the 
fun ;  fmce  the  fame  caufes  muft,  we  fhould  ima- 
gine; have  produced  the  fame  efFe&s. 

There  is  another  objection  to  Mr.  Dupuis's  hy- 

pothefis 


Origin  of  all  Rtligic'.'- 

pothefis  mentioned  by  himfelf,  vol.  3,  p.  340, 
which  is,  that  the  figns  of  the  Zodiac  may  denote 
the  places  oppofite  to  thofe  which  the  fun  occupied 
at  the  time,  as  being  mofl  open  to  obfervation,  thofe 
compilations  rifmg  at  fun  fet.  To  this,  however, 
lie  gives  no  anfwer.  He  only*  fays,  "  that  admit- 
ting this,  the  origin  of  the  Zodiac  will  flill  be  in 
Egypt."  -  But  it  entirely  overturns  his  opinion  of 
the  very  great  age  of  the  world. 

On  the  whole,  it  feems  natural  to  fuppofe  that 
fince,  according  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  the  correfpon- 
dence  of  the  figns  of  the  Zodiac  with  the  feafons  of 
the  year,  and  the  (late  of  agriculture,  as  obferved 
by  thofe  who  firft  noticed  it,  is  not  fufficiently  ex- 
aft,  there  is  but  little  foundation  for  the  hypothe- 
fis  ;  that  the  names  were  given  to  the  figns  on 
fome  other  idea,  which  we  cannot  now  trace  ;  and 
that  their  imperfect  correfpondence  to  the  feafons 
and  was  only  accidental.  Befides,  it  will  by  many 
be  thought  that  the  origin  of  the  Zodiac  was  in 
India,  and  not  in  Egypt.  On  fo  very  precarious 
a  foundation  does  this  great  argument  for  the  ex- 
traordinary antiquity  of  the  world  reft.  Mr.  Du- 
puis himfelf  wavered  in  his  opinion  concerning  its 
validity.  For  tho'  he  had  called  it  a  kind  of  demon- 
Jlration,  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  347,  "  I  do  not  lay 
much  ftrefs  on  my  fpecuiations  concerning  the 
Zodiac.  They  are  only  conjectures  ;  but  thofe  on 

mythology 


318  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuh's 

mythology  have  truth   for   their   balls."     Thefc, 
therefore,  I  fhall  now  proceed  to  examine. 

Mr.  Volney,  however,  has  more  confidence  in 
this  argument  than  Mr.  Dupuis  the  author  of  it. 
For  he  fays,  (Ruins,  p.  221.)  "  The  prefent  fyf- 
tem  may  be  referred  with  certainty,  on  the  authori- 
ty of  the  monuments  of  aftronomy  itfelf,  to  near 
feventeen  thoufand  years."  So  much  ftrength  does 
good  will  in  any  caufe  lend  to  a  weak  argument. 


SECTION      III. 

Of  the  Hijlory,  and  the  Injlitutions  of  Mofcs. 

THAT  part  of  the  fcripture  hiftory  which 
all  unbelievers  think  they  can  affail  with  the 
moft  advantage,  and  in  declaiming  againft  which 
they  indulge  themfelves  with  the  lead  referve,  is  that 
which  is  given  by  Mofes.  But  their  opinions  on 
the  fubjecl;  of  this  hiftory  are  very  various,  and 
difcordant. 

Mr.  Gibbon  calls  it  a  tradition,  Mr.  Langles 
fays  the  five  books  of  Mofes  are  copied,  at  fecond 
hand,  from  the  five  Bedas  of  the  Hindoos.  Mr. 
Dupuis  fays,  vol.  i,  p.  3,  they  are  for  the  moft 
part  a  collection  of  tales  like  thofe  of  the  Arabs. 

"  Thf 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  319 

"  The  hiftory  of  the  three  companions,  of  Daniel/' 
he  fays,  p.  280,  "is  an  Affyrian  tale."  He  alfo 
fays  (Explication  of  the  Plates,  p.  12)  that  the 
cofmogony  of  the  Hebrews  was  derived  from  that  of 
the  ancient  Perfians.  <:  From  the  Chaldeans/'  he 
&ys,  vol.  3,  p.  202,  "  we  have  the  fable  of  the  de- 
luge of  Xithuthrus,  of  which  that  of  Noah  of  the 
Hebrews,  and  that  of  Deucalion  of  the  Greeks,  are 
copies."  The  author  of  the  Genefis  of  the  Perfians, 
he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  12,  places  his  paradife  in  Iran, 
which  the  Hebrews  have  corrupted  into  Eden.  He 
feems  alfo  to  have  thought  that  the  Mofaic  Hiftory 
was  borrowed  in  part  from  Sanchoniathon.  For 
he  fays,  p.  6,  that  "  he  was  the  oldefl  writer  in 
Phenicia,"  in  which  Palefline  is  generally  included. 
And  he  frequently  calls  the  Mofaic  hiltory  a  le- 
gend. 

But  what  is  peculiar  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  is  that  the 
principal  part  of  this  hiftory  is  a  concealed  allegory, 
being  a  defcription  of  appearances  in  the  heavens, 
refembling  the  mythology  and  theology  of  the  E- 
gyptians.  "  From  the  twelve  great  gods  of  Egypt," 
he  fays,  vol.  i,  p.  66,  "  the  Jews  have  taken  the 
idea  of  their  twelve  patriarchs,  the  children  of  the 
fame  father,  and  chriftians  that  of  their  twelve  apof- 
tles,  the  companions  of  God,  the  father  of  light, 
whofe  death  and  refurrcclion  they  celebrate  like  that 
ef  Adonis  in  Phenicia,  and  that  of  Ofiris  in  E- 

gypt. 


320  P^emarks  on  Mr.  Dupuiss 

gypt.  The  breaft  plate  of  the  High  Prieft  formed 
of  twelve  precious  (tones,  arranged  three  and  three, 
and  grouped  like  the  feafons  ;  their  twelve  loaves 
of  (hew  bread,  arranged  fix  and  fix,  as  the  figns 
of  each  hernifphere,  have  no  other  object  than  the 
heavens,  and  the  Zodiac,"  p.  57.  He  does  not  fay 
to  which  of  the  twelve  (igns  each  of  the  twelve  fons 
of  Jacob  correfponds,  but  he  fays,  vol.  2,  p.  137, 
Dan,  the  fignof  the  fcorpion,  belongs  to  the  eighth 
month  from  Nifan,  on  which  Jeroboam  ordered 
the  wormip  of  the  calves  at  Dan ;"  and  he  feems  to 
refer  Judah  to  the  conftellation  of  the  Lion.  The 
twelve  oxen  which  fupported  the  brazen  fea  in  the 
templeof  Soloman,  were  con fecrated,  he  fays,  p.  61. 
to  the  great  goddefs  of  the  Syrians,  Aftarte.  But 
where  is  Mr.  Dupuis's  authority  for  this  confe- 
cration  ?  He  might  with  as  much  truth  have  faid 
that  the  temple  was  confecrated  to  Baal,  and  that 
his  image  was  erected  in  it. 

"  In  imitation  of  the  Egyptians/'  Mr.  Dupuis 
fays  (Treatifc  on  myjleries,  p.  7)  "  Mofes  confecra- 
ted the  tribe  of  Lcvi  to  the  facred  office.  He  fixed 
the  month  of  Nifan,  which  anfwers  to  the  equinoc- 
tial fign  of  the  fpring  for  the  commencement  of  the 
Jewim  year,  in  memory  of  the  renewal  of  nature, 
after 'being  laid  wafte  by  a  pretended  deluge,  which 
was  only  a  fiction  of  cofmogony,  p.  1 57.  To  men- 
tion no  more  of  thefc  refcmblances,  as  copies  of  hea- 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  321 

then  worfhip,  he  fays,  p.  90,  •"  Samfon,  or  god 
the  fun,  which  the  honey  of  My  thra  brought  to  his 
memory,  was  the  Philifline  Hercules."  This,  how- 
'€ver,  is  later  than  the  hiflory  of  Mofes. 

Such  are  the  flrange  opinions  that  have  been  ad- 
vanced by  unbelievers  with  refpe6l  to  the  hiftory 
and  inftitutions  of  Mofes,  on  which  I  would  re- 
mark in  the  firft  place,  that  they  are  very  incon- 
fiftent  with  each  other,  and  by  no  means  corref- 
pond  to  the  facls  they  propofe  to  explain.  A  tra- 
dition is  a  ftory  tranfmitted  from  one  generation  to 
another  before  it  was  reduced  to  writing.  For 
hi/lories  written  by  cotemporaries  are  never  called 
traditions.  However,  traditions  in  general  are  be- 
lieved to  be  true  both  by  the  relater,  and  thofe  to 
whom  the  narrative  is  propofed.  But  tho'  the  book 
of  Genefis  may  be  faid  to  be  a  traditional  account, 
the  hiftory  of  the  deliverance  of  the  Ifraelites  from 
their  bondage  in  Egypt,  and  of  their  travels  in  the 
wiklernefs,  is  no  tradition.  It  was  always  believ- 
ed by  the  nation  of  Ifraelites  that  it  was  written  by 
Mofes  at  the  time ;  and  the  numerous  particulars 
of  perfons,  times,  and  places,  are  clearer  vouchers 
of  its  having  been  fo  written,  than  any  other  hifto- 
ry that  has  reached  us.  Such  tables  of  genealogy 
as  we  find  in  Genefis,  ch.  v,  x,  xi,  xxxvi,  xlvi,  and 
in  Exodus,  ch.  vi,  fuch  accounts  of  the  number- 
ing of  the  people  in  each  tribe  as  we  have  in  Num. 

Q  q  <&< 


322  Remarks  on  Mr*  Dupnis's 

eh.  i,  ii,  xxvi,  and  fo  particular  an  account  of  the 
marches  and  flations  in  their  travels  as  we  have 
Num.  xxxiii,  are  never  found  in  Romances. 
There  is  nothing  refembling  thefe  things  in  the 
Arabian  Tales.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  fuch 
things  as  might  be  expected  in  hiflories  compofed 
with  the  greateft  regard  to  truth  and  exa&nefs.  In 
this  refpe&  the  narrative  of  Mofes  exceeds  Xeno- 
phon's  of  the  retreat  of  the  ten  thoufand,  or  any 
part  of  the  hiftory  of  Thucydides. 

A  legend  is  a  ftory  generally  traditional,  perhaps 
not  believed  by  the  author,  but  always  calculated 
to  gain  the  affent  of  thofe  for  v/hofe  ufe  it  is  writ- 
ten. But  this  was  by  no  means  the  cafe  with  the 
writings,  or  the  inftitutious,  of  Mofes.  He  relates 
the  hiftory  of  his  own  times ;  and  the  fole  objeft 
of  his  writings  was  to  enforce  the  obfervance  of  in- 
ftitutions  to  which  his  nation  was  extremely  averfej 
and  even  continued  to  be  fo  for  feveral  centuries  af- 
terwards. They  never,  however,  entertained  a  doubt 
with  refpeft  to  the  truth  of  the  narrative ;  and  not- 
withftanding  fuch  a  difperfion  and  fufferings  as  DO 
other  people  ever  experienced,  all  the  Jews  are  to 
this  very  day  firm  believers  in  the  writings  of  Mofes. 
And  yet  they  contain  particulars  concerning  their 
anceftors  which  could  not  but  be  very  offenfive  to 
them. 

Oriental  tales  are  works  of  mere  imagination,  not 

believed 


Origin  of  all  Religions*, 

believed  to  be  true  either  by  the  narrator,  or  thofe 
who  are  the  greateft  admirers  of  them  j  which  is  far 
from  being  the  cafe  with  refpecl  to  the  writings  of  Mo- 
fes.  Nations  do  not  take  their  Qodes  of  law,  ^and  efpe- 
eially  inftitutions  to  which  they  are  averfc,  from  fic- 
titious tales.  The  Mahometans  do  not  do  fo,  tho* 
their  religion  is  fuch  as  they  fooa  had  a  great  at- 
tachment to ;  and  yet  with  much  more  probability 
might  the  Koran  be  faid  to  be  an  Arabian  tale,  or 
a  legend,  than  the  Pentateuch  ;  and  that  the  hif- 
tories  alluded  to  in  it,  as  the  battle  of  Bedr,  &c. 
were  the  invention  of  the  writer.  The  Pentateuch 
contains  the  civil  law  of  the  Hebrew  nation,  as  the 
Koran  does  that  of  the  Mahometans,  and  their  au- 
thority is  never  queftioned. 

That  the  books  of  Mofes  are  copied  from  any 
writings  of  an  earlier  age  is  a  mere  arbitrary  afTerti- 
on,  and  altogether  improbable.  Where  are  thofe 
earlier  writings  to  be  found  ?  Let  them  be  produ- 
ced, and  compared.  The  Bedas  we  may  hope  to 
fee  foon.  At  prefent  we  are  pretty  well  informed 
concerning  their  general  contents,  and  the  religion 
they  enforce  ;  and  no  two  fyflems  can  be  more  un- 
like than  thofe  of  the  Hebrews  and  the  Hindoos. 
As  to  Sanchoniathon,  the  moft  learned  critics  are  of 
opinion  that  there  never  was  fuch  a  perfon,  and  that 
the  book  afcribed  to  him  was  the  invention  of  Por- 
phyry, to  oppofe  to  the  Mofaic  account  of  the  cre- 

ation, 


324  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis' s 

.  ation,  and  his  early  hiftory  of  mankind.  His, 
however,  is  only  the  fame  account  difguifed,  fo  that 
if  it  be  no  forgery,  it  is  in  a  great  mcafure  a  confir- 
mation of  the  hiftory  of  Mofes.  All  that  we  know 
concerning  this  Sanchoniathon  is  thro*  a  quotation 
of  a  work  of  Porphyry  in  Eufebius.  We  know 
nothing  of  any  records  of  the  Chaldeans,  as  thofe 
concerning  the  deluge,  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Dupuis, 
but  in  fome  fragments  of  the  writings  of  Berofus, 
who  was  cotemporary  with  Alexander  the  Great ; 
or  of  thofe  of  the  Egyptians,  but  from  the  writings 
of  Manetho,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  Phi- 
ladelphus.  Whereas  the  writings  of  Mofes  are 
extant,  and  open  to  the  mod  critical  examination. 
What  do  we  know  even  of  the  titles,  or  fubjefts, 
of  any  books  written  by  Egyptians,  Chaldeans  or 
Phenicians.  The  probability  is,  that  there  never 
were  any  fuch  approaching  to  the  time  df  Mofes. 

But  of  all  the  opinions  abovementicned,  the 
mofl  ingenious,  but  the  moft  abfurd,  is  that  of  Mr. 
Dupuis,  viz.  that  the  writings  of  Mofes  are  an  of- 
trological  allegory,  and  that  the  twelve  fons  of  Ja- 
cob denote  the  twelve  figns  of  the  Zodiac.  I  only 
wonder  that  he  fhould  allow  fuch  profound  know- 
ledge, and  fuch  ingenuity,  to  a  people  of  whom  he, 
with  all  other  unbelievers,  always  fpeaks  with  the 
greateft  contempt,  as  a  horde  (to  ufe  their  favourite 
expreffion)  of  barbarous  and  ignorant  Haves.  And 

this 


Origin  df  all  Religions.  325 

this  profound  knowledge  was  not  confined  to  Mo- 
fes,  who  was  educated  at  the  court  of  Pharaoh. 
For  according  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  it  appears  in  every 
part  of  their  fubfequent  hiftory.  Samfon,  he 
fays,  was  no  real  perfon,  any  more  than  the  fons 
of  Jacob,  but  the  Phenician  Hercules,  who  was 
the  fun.  Jefus,  too,  was  the  fame  deity,  and  the 
twelve  apoftles  the  fame  figns  of  the  Zodiac  with 
the  twelve  patriarchs.  The  Apocalypfe  muft,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Dupuis,  be  a  work  of  by  far  the 
mod  profound  erudition  in  all  antiquity.  And  yet 

all  thofe  writings  were  the  works  of  Jews. 

It  is,  hov/ever,   not  a  little   extraordinary,  that 

thefe  allegorical  writings  fhould  never  have  been 
underdood  in  their  true  fenfe  by  the  people  among 
whom  they  were  published,  and  by  whom  they 
were  ever  held  in  as  high  eileem  as  were  any  other 
books  by  any  other  nation.  Were  the  authors  of 
thefe  writings  the  only  men  of  learning  in  the 
nation,  and  were  all  the  reft  fo  difpofed  to  admire 
what  they  did  not  underftand  ? 

It  is  alfo  extraordinary  that,  tho',  according  to 
Mr.  Dupuis,  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews  was  origi- 
nally the  fame  with  that  of  all  the  neighbouring  na- 
tions, they  mould  yet  be  fo  radically  different. 
All  other  ancient  nations,  whether  they  acknow- 
ledged one  fupreme  deity  or  not,  worfliipped  a 
multiplicity  of  gods;  whereas  the  Hebrews  ftri&ly 

confined 


326  Remarks  on  Mr.  Duf>uis*s 

confined  their  worfhip  to  one.  All  other  nations 
had  human  Sacrifices,  which  the  Hebrews  held  in 
the  greateft  abhorrence.  All  others  had  recourfe 
to  various  modes  of  divination,  and  the  arts  of 
Magic,  and  Necromancy ;  whereas  in  the  writings 
of  Mofcs  every  thing  of  this  kind,  the  offspring  of 
the  moil  miferable  fuperftition,  is  treated  with  the 
greateft  contempt.  Could  principles  fundamental- 
ly the  fame  lead  to  fentiments  and  practices  fo  very 
different,  nay  the  very  reverfe  of  one  another  ? 
Can  the  fame  tree  produce  the  fweet  orange  and 
the  four  crab  ? 

There  is  no  circum fiance  of  which  Mr.  Dupuis 
avails  himfelf  fo  much,  or  repeats  fo  often,  both 
with  refpe&  to  the  Jewifh  and  the  Chriftian 
religions,  as  the  hiflory  of  the  fall  of  man  in  the 
beginning  of  the  book  of  Genefis.  I  believe  with 
him,  and  have  maintained  in  my  writings,  that 
this  hiftory  is  either  an  allegory,  or  founded  on  un- 
certain tradition,  that  it  is  an  hypothecs  to  account 
for  the  origin  of  evil,  adopted  by  Mofes,  which  by 
no  means  accounts  for  the  fafts.  But  how  does 
this  affecl;  Mofes's  hiftory  of  his  own  times,  a  hifto- 
ry that  appears  from  evidence  internal  and  exter- 
nal, to  have  been  written  while  the  events  were  re- 
cent, and  to  which  the  whole  nation  bore  teftimo- 
ny ;  and  more  unprejudiced  witneiles  there  could 
have  been  in  any  cafe,  from  the  reluftance 

witfe 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  327 

with  which  they  received,  and  retained,  the  in- 
ftitutions  which  that  hiftory  was  calculated  to  en- 
force. 

Let  Mr.  Dupuis  conilder  how  his  argument 
will  apply  to  any  fimilar  cafe.  Suppofing,  as  he 
docs,  that  the  hiftory  of  the  Argonautic  expedi- 
tion is  a  fable  or  allegory,  and  that  there  never 
were  fucb  perfons  as  Jafon,  Hercules,  or  Chiron ; 
would  it  follow  that  the  hiftory  of  Greece  in  the 
later  periods  was  equally  fabulous,  and  that  there 
never  was  a  Piliftratus,  a  Solon,  or  a  Miltiades  ? 
Suppofing  that  not  only  the  hiilory  of  Romulus 
and  Remus  being  fucklcd  by  a  wolf  was  a  fiction, 
but  that  there  never  were  any  men  who  bore  thofe 
names,  or  did  what  is  afcribed  to  them,  would  it 
follow  that  there  were  no  kings  in  Rome  prior  to 
the  Confuls,  or  that  there  never  were  fuch  men  as 
Fabricius,  Cincmnatus,  or  Scipio  Africanus,  who 
lived  before  the  time  of  the  hiftorians  who  have  re- 
corded their  actions  ? 

Admitting,  then,  the  hiftory  of  Adam,  and  of 
the  ante-deluvians,  to  be  ever  fo  fabulous,  it 
will  not  follow  that  the  hiftory  of  Noah  is  fabulous 
too;  and  much  lefs  that  of  Abraham,  Ifaac  and 
Jacob,  Mofes's,  our  anceftors;  and  at  no  great  dif- 
tance  from  his  own  time,  and  which  was  of  fuch  a 
»ature  as  not  to  be  eafily  forgotten. 

Mr,  Dupuis  did  not,  furely,  confider  how  near 

Mofes 


o^8  Remarks   on  Mr.  Dupuiss 

Mofcs  was  to  one  of  thofe  perfons  whom  he  fup- 
pofes  to  denote  the  figns  of  the  Zodiac.  For  Levi, 
one  of  them,  was  only  his  great  grandfather.  His 
grandfather  Kohath  accompanied  his  father  Levi 
when  Jacob  went  to  Egypt.  Now,  for  a  man  to 
pretend  that  his  own  great  grandfather,  was  not  a 
man,  but  a  conftellation  of  flars,  would  be  deemed 
little  lefs  than  infanity.  After  fo  Ihort  an  interval, 
Mofes  muft  certainly  have  known  whether  Levi, 
his  great  grandfather,  was  a  man  like  himfelf,  or 
not.  And  fince  he  relates  the  hiflory  of  his  birth, 
as  well  as  that  of  all  the  twelve  brothers,  and  men- 
tions the  reafons  of  the  names  which  their  fcveral 
mothers  gave  them,  in  a  manner  perfectly  natural, 
and  agreeing  with  the  manners  of  that  age.  there 
cannot  be  a  reafonable  doubt  of  its  being  a- real  hif- 
tory  ;  that  Abraham,  Ifaac.  and  Jacob,  were  men, 
and  not  ftars,  as  well  as  their  defendants  Levi, 
Kohath,  Amram,  and  Mofes,  who  defcended  in  a 
right  line  from  them. 

It  is  fomething  fingular  too,  that,  in  this  fame  al- 
legorical hiflory,  we  mould  be  made  to  pals  from 
men  toflars,  and  from  flars  to  men  again.  For  tho' 
according  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  the  twelve  patriarchs  were 
the  twelve  figns  of  the  Zodiac,  he  finds  no  place 
in  the  heavens  for  their  immediate  anceftors,  Abra- 
ham, Ifaac.  and  Jacob  ;  and  tho'  Mofes  and  Aaron 
were  real  meni  Samfon,  who  came  long  after 

them 


Origin  of  ail  Religions. 

them,  was  the  Phenician  Hercules*  or  the  fun. 
And  tho'  he  does  not  pretend  that  David,  Solo- 
mon, or  the  other  kings  of  Judah  or  Ifrael,  were 
not  real  human  beings,  he  makes  the  hiftory  of  the 
companions  of  Daniel  to  be  an  Aflyrian  tale.  If 
Shadrack,  Mefhech,  and  Abedn^go,  were  fabulous 
pc-rfonages,  Daniel  himfelf  could  not  well  have  been 
any  other  ;  efpecially  as,  proceeding  farther,  we 
have  more  fabulous  and  allegorical  circumftances  ; 
Jefus  being  the  fun,  the  fame  with  Ofiris,  Adonis, 
and  Samfon,  and  the  twelve  appftles  the  twelve 
figns  of  the  Zodiac,  the  fame  with  the  twelve  pa- 
triarchs. Now,  tho'  the  tranfition  from  fable  to 
hi  (lory  be  natural,  to  go  back  from  hLftory  to  fable, 
efpecially  in  a  more  enlightened  age,  abounding 
with  writers,  is  certainly  very  unnatural. 

Mr.  Dupuis  fuppofcs  the  inftitutions  of  Mafes 
to  have  been  his  own  dcvife,  and  the  Pentateuch 
to  have  beea  written  by  himfelf.  At  leaft  I  do  not 
recoiled  that  he  fays  any  thing  to  the  contrary. 
Now  thefe  books  contain  both  a  code  of  civil  law, 
and  a  hiftory  of  the  public  tranfactions  of  his  own 
times ;  as  of  the  plagues  inflicted  on  the  Egyptians, 
the  institution  of  the  paffover  in  commemoration, 
of  their  own  deliverance  from  a  Mate  of  cruel  bon- 
dage, their  pafTage  thro'  the  red  fea,  their  hearing 
the  delivery  of  the  ten  commandments  from  mount 
Sinai,  &c.  &c.  of  which,  if  they  really  happened, 

R  r  all 


330  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis's 

all  the  people  muft  have  been  witneffes.  Now,  can 
it  be  fuppofed  that  any  people  would  have  received 
a  body  of  laws,  and  a  religion  to  which  they  were 
exceedingly  averfe,  when  they  knew  there  was  no 
truth  in  the  account  of  the  tranfa&ions,  faid  to  be 
of  their  own  times,  calculated  to  enforce  the  obfer- 
vance  of  them. 

At  whatever  period  of  time  it  be  fuppofed  that 
the  books  of  Mofes,  containing  the  religious  infti- 
tutions  and  the  civil  laws  of  the  Hebrews,  were  for- 
ged, a  peculiar  difficulty  will  attend  it.  If  it  was 
near  the  time  of  Mofes,  it  would  be  in  the  perfect  re- 
collection of  living  witncfies  that  they  were  not  writ- 
ten by  him,  or  by  his  direction,  and  that  the  events 
related  in  them  never  happened.  And  if  it  was  at 
any  di  iiant  time,  the  people  mud  have  had  fome  o- 
thcrlaws,  and  a  different  religion,  which  they  would 
not  have  been  difpofed  to  change  for  inftitutions 
th.;7  had  never  heard  of  before,  and  fuch  as  they 
difliked.  Nor  could  it  have  been  poffible  to  per- 
fuade  any  nation  that  a  hi  (lory  of  themfelves  (with 
which,  if  it  was  a  forgery,  they  muft  have  been  un- 
acquainted) framed  to  impofc  upon  them  a  new  re- 
ligion, and  new  laws  was  the  work  of  any  refptcl- 
ed  anceftor  or  citizen.  For  if  the  writings  were  ge- 
nuine, they  could  not  but  have  heard  of  them  be- 
fore. 

A  refpeS  for  a  religion  which  a  nation  had  only 

neglected 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

negle&ed  thro'  diflike,  and  a  prepoiTeffion  in  favour 
of  another,  might  be  revived  by  a  fcries  of  new 
events,  natural  or  fupernatural ;  or  new  laws  might 
be  adopted  as  new  ones,  if  they  faw  fufficient  rea- 
fon  for  adopting  them ;  but  the  adoption  of  a  to- 
tally new  religion,  and  new  laws,  as  ancient  ones, 
practiced  by  their  anceflors,  could  never  have  taken 
place  with  any  people. 

After  a  time  of  great  degeneracy,  as  that  of  Ma- 
nalfeh,  perfons  about  the  court  might  be  unac- 
quainted with  the  writings  of  Mofes ;  and  the  peru- 
fal  of  the  thrcatnings  againfl  their  apoftacy  con- 
tained in  them  might  give  great  alarm ;  but  this  cir- 
cumflance  could  not  have  produced  the  effect 
.afcribed  to  it;  or  would  have  been  very  tranCent, 
if  no  fuch  books  had  been  heard  of  before ;  or  if 
when  they  were  produced,  and  examined,  it  could 
•have  been  made  to  appear  that  the  contents  were 
different  from  what  they  had  received  before. 
There  would,  no  doubt,  have  been  perfons  enow 
able  and  willing  to  undeceive  a  court  fufficiently 
willing  to  be  undeceived  in  fuch  a  cafe  as  this. 
As  to  the  mere  ignorance  of  the  contents  of  the 
books  of  Mofes,  how  many  fincere  Chriftians  arc 
there,  in  Catholic  and  even  Proteflant  countries, 
who  have  never  read  their  bibles  thro'.  It  was 
for  the  greatefl  part  of  his  life,  by  his  own  con- 
feflion,  the  cafe  of  Dr.  S.  Johnfon,  tho'  he  was 
even  a  bigot  in  religion.  Beiidej. 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Dtifuifs 

Befides,  was  not  the  temple  of  Solomon  theft 
flanding,  tho*  it  had  been  applied  to  other  purpofes, 
and  was  not  the  ftru&ure  of  it,  and  the  apparatus 
of  inflrumcnts,  &c.  belonging  to  it,  a  (landing 
proof  of  the  antiquity  of  the  religion  that  had  been 
cxercifed  in  it  ?  Were  net  the  orders  of  priefts  and 
Levites  then  fubfi fling  ?  If  they  had  not  been 
heard  of  before,  would  they  have  been  adopted  at 
that  time,  as  ancient  inftitutions  ? 

Some  will  pretend  that  the  books  of  Mofes  might 
have  been  forged  immediately  after  the  Babylonifh 
captivity.     But  this  was  a  period  of  hiflory  peculi- 
arly unfavourable  for  fuch  a  purpofe.     The  people 
had  then  rcfided  a  long  time  in  a  diflant  country, 
and  had  married  into   foreign   families,  forbidden 
by  the  laws  of  Mofes.     That  they  were  in  a  great 
meafure  become  weaned  from  their  own  country, 
appeared  by  the  fmall  number  of  thofe  who  return- 
ed to  it,  when  they  were  at  liberty  fo  to  do.   Could 
it  then  have  been  in  the  power  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah, 
or  any  other  perfon  (fuppofing  they   could  have 
had  any  reafonable  motive  for  making  the  propofal) 
to  have  compelled  them  to  difmifs  their  wives,  and 
conform   to   various    difagveeable    laws,    without 
bting  able  to  produce  fufficient  evidence  of  their 
being  obligatory,  as  thofe  of -their  anceftors  ? 

Did  not  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  of  which  there  is  a 
copy  in  the  book  of  Ezra,  authorize  the  Jews  to 

return 


Origin  of  all  Religions,  333 

return,  and  rebuild  their  temple,  and  relume  thei* 
former  woffhip,  which  implied  the  exiftence  of  a 
former  temple,  and  a  mode  of  woiifrp  peculiar  to 
the  nation  ?  And  this  was  many  years  before  the 
time  of  Ezra  and  Neherriah  who  went  to  Judea 
only  in  the  reign  of  Ai  Caxerxes  Longimanus.  They 
found  the  Jews  in  the  exer<  .c  ot  their  religion,  but 
in  fome  diforder,  which,  with  confidcrabie  difficul- 
ty, they  rectified. 

It  is  faid  by  the  Jews,  and  is  probable  in  itfelf, 
that  Ezra  collected,  and  arranged,  as  many  of  the 
books  of  their  fcriptures  as  were  written  before  his 
time,  tho*  nothing  is  faid  of  this  in  the  book  that 
bears  his  name,  or  that  of  Nehemiah.  But  there 
mufl  have  been  other  pcrfons  in  the  country  ac- 
quainted with  ancient  writings  as  well  as  he,  and 
who  would  have  prevented  any  difagreeable  impo- 
fition.  Befides,  it  is  evident  from  his  narrative, 
which  has  more  internal  marks  of  genuinenefs  than 
moil  other  writings,  that  when  he  arrived  the  books 
of  Mofes  were  well  known,  and  that  he  only  read 
them  to  the  people  at  the  feaft  of  tabernacles,  a- 
greeably  to  the  injunction  in  the  law  for  that  pur- 
pofe. 

At  this  time  alfo  there  was  a  fchifm  in  the  Jewifii 
church;  many  of  the  Jews,  and  among  them  the 
grandfon  of  the  Highprieft,  and  many  others,  from 
a  diflike  of  the  rigour  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah, 

joining 


334  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dufuis's 

joining  the  Samaritans.  This  people  had  feperat- 
ed  from  the  Jews,  having  taken  offence  at  their 
not  being  allowed  to  join  them  in  rebuilding  the 
temple,  and  to  be  admitted  to  the  worfhip  of  it,  on 
account  of  their  being  a  mixed  people,  and  not  all 
of  Hebrew  extraction.  And  the  Jews  and  Samari- 
tans were  ever  after  at  variance,  and  had  the  great- 
eft  antipathy  to  each  other. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  Samaritans  had  copies 
of  the  books  of  Mofes,  which  they  certainly  would 
not  at  that  time  have  received  from  the  Jews.  But, 
refpe&ing  thofe  books  as  much  as  the  Jews  them- 
felvcs,  they  built  a  temple  of  their  own,  and  con- 
formed to  all  the  inflitutions  prefcribed  in  thofe 
books.  That  the  Samaritan  copy  of  the  books  of 
Mofes  was  not  then  compofed  by  the  Jews,  is  evi- 
dent from  feveral  very  conflderable  differences  bet- 
ween it  and  that  of  the  Jews,  and  from  its  being 
written  in  a  different  character ;  the  Samaritans  not 
adopting  the  new  and  more  elegant  character  which 
the  jews  had  learned  in  Chaldea,  but  retaining  trie 
more  ancient  one,  in  which  it  is  probable  they  were 
originally  written.  That  thefe  books,  containing 
new  laws,  and  a  new  religion,  mould  have  been 
forged  at  that  time,  and  impofed  upon  the  Jews  in 
one  character,  and  on  their  enemies  the  Samaritans 
with  variations  in  another,  is  too  improbable  to  be 
admitted, 

If 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

If  the  books  of  Mofes  were  no  forgery,,  we  may 
take  it  for  granted  that  none  of  the  other  books  of 
the  Old  Teftament,  hiftorical  or  prophetical,  are 
fo  ;  beCaufe  the  former  being  received,  no  fuffici- 
ent  motive  can  be  imagined  for  forging  any  of  the 
reft  if  the  attempt  could  have  been  fuccefsful ;  nor 
would  the  fuppofition  anfwer  any  important  pur- 
pofc  to  unbelievers  at  this  day. 

Mr.  Dupuis  would  have  made  a  much  more  pro- 
bable hypothecs,  if  he  had  maintained  that  the 
whole  of  the  Jewilh  hiflory  was  a  fable ;  that  as 
the  twelve  patriarchs  (one  of  whom  was  Mofes's 
great  grandfather)  denoted  the  twelve  figns  of  the 
Zodiac,  he  alfo  was  either  a  flar,  or  a  planet ;  that 
the  hi  (lory  of  the  defcent  into  Egypt,  and  that  of 
their  efcape  from  it,  with  their  journeyings  in  the 
wildernefs,  and  their  fettlement  in  Paleftine,  was  a 
continuation  of  the  fame  Arabian  tale,  a  mere  in- 
genious fiction  ;  that  there  never  was  fuch  a  nati- 
on as  that  of  the  Ifraelites,  with  their  kings  David, 
Solomon,  &c.  and  that  thofe  who  now  call  them- 
fclves  Jews  are  only  the  fcattered  remains  of  fome 
horde  of  wandering  Arabs,  who  have  aflumed  that 
name,  and  pretend  to  an  extraordinary  defcent, 
Alfo,  fince  Jefus  was  the  fun,  and  his  twelve  dif- 
ciplcs  the  twelve  figns  of  the  Zodiac,  and  confe- 
qucntly  the  evangelical  hiflory  a  mere  romance,  that 
the  Afts  of  the  Afo/H-es,  and  the  whole  of  the  fub- 

fequent 


.336  Remark*   OH  Mr.  Dupuis's- 

fequent  hiftory  of  the  chriftian  church  is  a  fequel 
to  it,  and  that  they  who  call  thenifclves  Chrifiians, 
and  according  to  him  are,  without  knowing  it,  wor- 
Ihippers  of  the  fun,  are  a  fct  of  people,  a  colluvies 
of  all  nations,  who  like  the  gypfies,  and  free  ma- 
fons,  have  formed  themfelves  into  a  body,  tho'  of 
a  very  hctirogencous  kind,  but  are  not  able  to  give 
any  rational  account  of  their  origin. 

Since,  however ;  it  is  granted  that  there  is  fuch  a 
people  as  the  Jews,  and  iince  according  to  Mr.  Du- 
puis  they  have,  by  feme  means  or  other,  been  com- 
pletely deceived  with  refpecl  to  their  hiftory,  and 
have  been  led  to  adopt  a  fyftem  of  political  and 
religious  inflitutions  to  which  they  long  had  the 
greateft  averfion,  there  muft  have  been  a  time  when 
the  deception  took  place  ;  and  conlidering  that  it 
is  a  whole  nation  that  4ias  been  fo  deceived,  it  is 
the  moft  extraordinary  facl:  in  all  hiftory,  and  ia 
reality  a  greater  miracle  than  any  that  are  recited  in 
the  books  of  Mofes. 

•  The  contriver  of  this  hiftory,  or  the  author  of 
thefe  Arabian  tales,  muft  have  been  the  boldeft 
impoftor  that  the  world  has  ever  known  ;  fmce  he 
has  very  unneceflfarily  run  the  rifk  of  introducing 
into  his  ftory  things  at  which  the  fpirit  of  any  na- 
tion would  have  been  fure  to  revolt,  as  the  account 
of  the  behaviour  of  Abraham  and  Ifaac  with  ref- 
pe£l  to  their  wives,  the  conduft  o.f  Jacob  in  tak- 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  337 

an  ungenerous  advantage  of  his  brother's  dif- 
trefs,  the  mocking  ftory  of  two  of  his  fons,  Simeon- 
arid  Levi,  with  refpect  to  the  Shecbemite-s,  the  be- 
haviour of  Jofeph's  brethren  in  felling  him  for  a 
fiave,  the  ftory  of  Judah  (the  anceftor  of  the  moft; 
refpeclable  or  all  the  twelve  tribes)  and  his  daugh- 
ter-in-law Thamar,  and  their  miferable  fervitude  irt 
Egypt.  No  other  invented  flory  was  ever  like 
this,  and  yet  tiie  fuccefs  of  the  impoflurc  has  beea 
complete. 

e  hiftories  of  David  and  Solomon  be  parts 
romance  the  ftory  of  the  debauching  of 
the  wife  of  the  brave  Uriah,  and  the  murder  of  the 
auiband  by  the  former,  and  the  idolatry  of  the 
latter,  to.ploafe  his  wives  when  he  was  old,  were  ill 
adapted  to  anfwer  the  purpofe.  But  according  to 
Mr.  Dupuis,  and  other  unbelievers,  the  Jews  were 
never  like  any  other  men  ;  fo  that  it  is  in  vain  to 
apply  to  them  the  common  principles  of  human  na- 
ture, as  we  obferve  them  in  other  people. 

As  every  thing  that  is  opprobrious  mull  be  faid 
of  the  Hebrews  and  Jews,  their  being  barbarians, 
deftitute  of  all  knowledge  of  fcience  and  the  arts, 
never  fails  to  make  a  part  of  the  charge  againft 
them  by  all  unbelievers.  Mr.  Dupuis  intimates 
that  the  Jews,  tho'  worfhippers  of  the  fun,  like  the 
yptians,  and  other  ancient  nations,  had  no  im- 
uife  they  were  not  able  to  make  ap.y. 
S  s 


E 


Remark s  on   Mr.  JDupuiss 

this  charge,  tho' perpetually  and  confidently  urged, 
is  not  fupported  by  any  fa6ls. 

The  anceflors  of  this  defpifed  nation,  Abraham,  ^ 
Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  appear  to  have  been  in  the  ha- 
bits of  civilized  life,  as  much  as  any  other  people 
of  that  time.  The  behaviour  of  Abraham  in  the 
purchafe  of  a  burying  ground  for  his  wife  ftiews 
much  politenefs,  as  well  as  wealth.  Ifaac  and  Ja- 
cob were  not  inferior  to  the  Arab  Sheiks.  Jo- 
feph,  tho'  fold  a  flave,  rofe  to  be  prime  minifter 
in  Egypt,  at  that  time  in  a  very  flourifhing  ftate. 
For  with  Mr.  Dupuis's  leave,  I  muft  here  confider 
him  as  a  man,  and  not  a  conilellation  in  the  Zodi- 
ac, and  tho'  unjuilly'enflaved  in  that  country,  the 
chiefs  of  the  Ifraelites  at  leafl  might  fee,  and  learn, 
alFthat  was  pra&iced  by  their  matters. 

The  conftruftion  of  the  tabernacle  in  the  wil- 
dernefs,  and  much  more  the  building  of  the  tem- 
ple of  Solomon,  (hews  that  this  horde  of  barbari- 
ans were  not  without  a  knowledge  of  fuch  arts  as 
were  practiced  in  that  age.  In  what  manner  foever 
they  acquired  them,  juftly  or  unjuftly,  they  had 
much  cattle,  and  great  xvealth,  in  gold,  filver,  and 
precious  ftones,  when  they  left  Egypt,  *  and  they 
were  acquainted  with  the  methods  of  ufing  them. 

Aaron 

*  It  is  evident  from  this  circumftance  that  their  leaving 
Egypt  was  at  leifure,  and  with  the  content  of  the  Egyp- 
tians at  the  time. 


O rigin  of  all  R eligions. 

Aaron  actually  caft  a  golden  calf,  and  on  the  twelve 
different  kinds  of  precious  Hones  were  engraved  the 
names  of  the  twelve  tribes.  Mofes  wrote  the  books 
of  his  law,  whether  in  the  exact  form  of  the  pre- 
fent  Pentateuch,  or  not.  The  tabernacle,  befides 
being  conflru&ed  of  the  moil  colily  materials,  and 
in  the  mofl  exquifite  manner,  was  furnifhed  with 
veffels,  and  other  things  proper  for  libations,  facri- 
ficcs,  and  otfier  afts  of  worfhip,  TJie  cherubim 
that  were  over  the  ark  were  probably  emblematical 
figures,  with  the  heads  of  fome  or  more  animals. 
At  leaft  they  had  wings,  which  it  required  fome 
Ikill  to  carve. 

The  Egyptians  erected  more  ftupendous  works,' 
tho'  whether  fo  early  as  this  time  is  very  uncertain. 
Accordingto  Herodotus,  the  building  of  the  firfl  py- 
ramid muft  have  been  long  after  this ;  but  no  remains 
of  any  of  their  works  imply  more  art  xn&  fall  than 
appear  in  the  conftru&ion  of  the  tabernacle.  And 
tho'  they  macje  ufe  of  hieroglyphics,  we  have  no 
certain  knowledge  of  any  bocks  compofed  by  them. 
Herodotus  makes  no  mention  of  any  that  they  had 
even  in  his  time,  r,or  do  any,  fuch  appear  to  hive 
been  known  to  any  of  the  Greeks,  who  did  not 
want  curiofity  to  make  enquiry  about  them,  ,and 
-who  would  probably  have  been  glad  to  tranflate,  or 
copy  from  them. 

There  can  be  doubt,  therefore,  but  that  if  the 

Hebrew 


340  '   Remarks  on  Mr.  Dvfuh's 

Hebrews  had  been  difpofed  to  make  ufe  of  images 
in  their  worfhip,  they  could  have  made  them,  as 
well  as  the  Egyptians.  Jeroboam  had  calves  at 
Dan  and  Bethel.  And  in  that  early  age  men  did 
not  require  images  of  extpifite  workmarifhip.  Ac- 
cording to  the  accounts  of  all  travellers,  the  images 
in  the  Hindoo  temples  do  nof  difcover  more  inge- 
nuity, or  knowledge  of  any  of  the  arts,  than  the 
Ifraelites  pofTeffed  when  they  left  Egypt.  Some  of 
their  oldeft  images  are  little  more  than  large  ftones 
in  a  conical  form. 


SECTION      IV. 

Of  Chrijtianity. 

TH  E  principal  object  of  Mr.  Dupuis's  Ela- 
borate work,  and  no  doubt  that  of  all  un- 
"believers  in  Chriftian  countries,  is  the  overthrow  of 
Chriftianity  ;  and  it  is  only  this  that  they  \vifti  to 
wound  thro*  the  fides  of  judaifm  ;  thinking  that  if 
one  part  of  the  fyftcm  of  revelation  be  overturned; 
the  other  part  will  fall  with  it.  And  on  this  ac- 
count Mr.  Dupuis  reprefents  the  connection  of 
chriilianity  with  judaifm,  and  the  mod  exception- 
able parts  of  the  writings  of  Mofes,  as  of  the  ftrong- 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

eft  kind.  "  The  whole  of  the  cl-'P 'in  religion/' 
he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  5,  "  is  founded  upon  the  alle- 
gory of  the  fecond  chapter  of  Genefis.  The  incar- 
nation of  Chrift  was  become  neceflary  to  repaid 
the  mifchief  that  was  introduced  into  the  umverfe 
by  the  ferpent,  which  feduced  the  flrft  man  and 
woman.  The  exiftence  Chrift,  the  reilorer,  can- 
not be  admitted  as  an  hiftorical  fa6t,  but  on  the 
fuppofition  that  the  converfation  between  the  fer- 
pcnt  and  the  woman ;  and  the  introduction  of  evil 
(which  was  the  confequence  of  it)  was  real  and 
hiftorical.  If,  p.  37,  this  pretended  adventure  be 
an  allegory,  the  miffion  of  Chrift  muft  be  ib  too. 
Thefe  two  doctrines  cannot  be  feparated." 

Now  I  have  fhewn  that  the  proper  Mofaic  hif- 
tory,  and  the  Hebrew  inftitutions  contained  in  his 
writings,  have  no  necefTary  connection  with  bis 
account  of  the  creation  and  fall  of  man.  And 
if  the  Jewifh  religion  have  no  neceflary  connecti- 
on with  it,  much  lefs  has  chriftianity ;  and  in  the 
New  Teftament  there  is  not  the  leaft  allufion  to  it  ; 
which,  if  it  had  been  a  necefjary  part  of  the  fame 
fcheme,  could  not  have  been  avoided. 

Mr.  Dupuis  reprefents  the  account  of  the  mira- 
culous conception  of  Jefus  as  a  neceffary  part  of 
the  chriftian  fcheme.  This  hiftory,  however,  as 
given  in  the  introductions  to  the  gofpels  of  Mathew 
^nd  Luke,  many  chriftians  in  all  ages,  'and  efpeci- 

ally 


Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuh's 

ally  the  Jewifh  chriflians,  who  muft  be  allowed  to 
have  been  the  befl  judges  in  the  cafe,  never  admit- 
ted. In  my  Hijlory  of  early  Opinions  concerning 
Chrijlj  I  have  given  my  reafons  at  large  why  I 
think  it  is  not  entitled  to  any  credit.  But  this  does 
not  in  the  leaft  make  my  faith  in  the  hiflory  of  the 
public  life,  the  death,  and  refurre&ion  of  Jefus, 
written  by  proper  witnerles. 

The.  hiflory  of  the  fallen  angels  is  another  cir- 
cumflance  on  which  Mr.  Dupuis  lays  much  ftrefs. 
"  According  to  the  chriflians/'  he  fays,  vol.  i,  p. 
336  "  there  was  from  the  beginning  a  divifion  a- 
mong  the  angels  ;  fome  remaining  faithful  to  the 
light,  and  others  taking  the  part  of  darknefs,"  Sec. 
But  this  fuppofed  hiflory  is  not  found  in  the  fcrip- 
tures.  It  has  only  been  inferred  from  a  wrong  in- 
terpretation of  one  paflage  in  the  fecond  epiflle  of 
Peter,  and  a  correfponding  one  in  that  of  Jude,  ;is 
lias  been  fhewn  by  judicious  writers.  That  there  is 
inch  a  perfon  as  the  Devil  is  no  part  of  my  faithj 
nor  that  of  many  other  chriftians ;  nor  am  I  fure 
that  it  was  the  belief  of  any  of  the»chrifiian  writers. 
Neither  do  I  believe  the  doclrine  of  demonical  pof- 
feflions,  whether  it  was  believed  by  the  facred  wri- 
ters or  not ;  and  yet  my  unbelief  in  thefe  articles 
does  not  afFecl:  my  faith  in  the  great  fa&s  of  which 
the  evangelifts  were  eye  and  ear  witnelTes.  They 
might  not  be  competent  judges  in  the  one  cafe,  tho' 
perfectly  fo  with  refpeft  to  the  other,  Mr. 


Origin  of  all*Rdi§wns.  343 

Mr.  Dupuis  alfo  loads  chriftianity  with  many  o- 
ther  do&rines  which  have  been  long  exploded,  as 
is  well  known,  by  many  chriflians.     He  phufes  to 
take  no  notice  of  any  chriflians  be  fides  Roman  Ca- 
tholics,  as  it  he  had  never  heard  of  Protcflants,  or 
Unitarians.     If  we   had  had  no  other  accounts  of 
the  chriftian  fyftem  befides  this  work  of  Mr.  Du- 
puis, it  would  have  been  taken  for  granted  that  all 
chriflians   were  trinitarians.      Jefus,   he  confiders, 
voL  i,    p.  52,  as  the  proper  object  of  worfhip  to 
all  chriflians  ;  whereas  the  New  Teflament  repre- 
fents  him  in  no  other  light  than  that  of  a  great  pro* 
phet,    who  taught  the  true  worfhip  of   God,  and 
announced,  as  from  him,   the  great  doctrine  of  a 
refurreclion.     And  a  more  picus  and  humble  wof- 
fhipperof  God,   one  more  devoted  to  his  will,   in 
living  and  dying,  never  appeared  in  the  world. 

According  to  Mr.  Dupuis,  all  shriflians  hold 
the  doclrine  of  the  eternity  of  hell  torments.  Trca- 
tife  on  the  Myjlries.  p.  151.  And,  contrary  to  what 
appears  on  the  very  furface  of  the  evangelical  hif- 
tory,  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  53,  f<  the  evangelifls  have 
made  Jefus  to  aft,  preach,  and  announce,  the  au- 
flerities  which  the  Bramins  and  other  devotees  of 
the  Eafl  ftill  praftice.  In  general,"  he  adds,  "  this 
legend  is  more  wonderful  than  amufing  to  read. 
It  partakes  a  little  of  the  auflere  feel:  of  the  Jews, 
and  does  not  fhine  with  refpecl  to  genius," 


244  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis' * 

But  certainly  Mr.  Dupuis  does  not  fhine  with 
refpect  to  fidelity.  For  fo  far  was  Jefus  from 
teaching,  or  practicing,  any  aufterities,  that  for 
ufinglefs  rigour  than  the  Pharifees,  or  John  the 
Baptift,  they  faid  of  him,  Matt,  xi,  19,  that  he  was 
a  gluttonous  man  and  a  wine  IMer,  a  friend  of  pub- 
licans and  Jinntrs.  In  a  later  age  fome  of  the 
monks,  copying  the  heathens,  practiced  the  aufte- 
rities to  which  Mr.  Dupuis  alludes,  but  there  is 
no  recommendation  of  them  in  the  New  Tefta- 
meut. 

To  load  chriftianity  with  tenets  and  practices 
which  do  not  belong  fco  it  is  nothing  new.  It  pro- 
ceeds from  the  ufual  artifice,  or  ignorance,  of  un- 
believers. But  what  is,  I  believe,  quite  original 
in  Mr.  Dupuis  (who,  however,  is  not  to  be  un- 
derftood  as  advancing  any  opinion  of  his  own)  is 
that  chriftianity  is  derived  from  Perfia.  "  A  branch 
of  the  Mythriacs,"  he  fays  (Treatifc  on  the  Myjle- 
ries,  p.  9,)  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  feet  of 
chriftians.  In  reality/'  he  fays.  (Explanation  of 
his  Plaits,  p.  12,)  "  Mithra  and  Chrift  were  born 
on  the  fame  day,  in  a  grctto  or  ftable,  Chrift  and 
Mithra  regenerated  the  univerfe  by  the  blood  of  a 
lamb,  or  of  an  ox ;  they  died  at  the  epocha  of  the 
revival  of  the  light,  as  they  were  born  in  the  feafon 
of  darknefs.  They  both  had  fecret  initiation.?,  pu~ 
rifications,  haptifms,  confcflions,"  £c< 

In 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

In  the  Perfian  fyflem  he  finds  both  the  doc- 
trines  and  the  practices  of  the  Chriftians.  "  The 
confecration  of  bread,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  85, 
<{  which  is  one  of  the  great  myfleries  in  the  Chnf* 
tian  religion,  is  alfo  found  in  the  religion  of  Mith- 
ra,  with  the  myflical  words  which  produce  it. 
The  initiated  of  Mithra,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  207, 
"  admitted  th«*  docbine  of  a  refurreftion."  In  treat- 
ing of  the  ancient  Myileries  he  fays,  p.  137,  "the 
idea  of  the  triyftagogues,  in  exaggerating  the  pre- 
tended ev  us  ot  anotiicr  life,  was  the  artifice  tk;t 
was  ciiitfly  employed  by  the  Chrifi  ans  to  draw  to 
their  party  the  common  people,  and  the  wcmcti. 
F  ./'  he  ad  is.  '-it  was  in  this  clafs  that  at  firit  tney 
ei  ivoured  to  makt  profclvtes. 

One  would  think  that  a  peifon  who  wrote  in  this 
manner  could  never  have  read  the  New  Tellament, 
but  mud  have  taken  his  idea  of  Chriflianity  from 
the  practices  of  the  Roman  Catholics  only.  What 
is  there  in  the  New  Teftament  of  the  regeneration 
of  the  univerfe  by  the  blood  of  a  lamb,  or  an  ox, 
of  myfleries,  initiations,  purifications,  confeffions, 
or  the  confecration  of  bread  ?  The  dc&rine  of 
the  refurretHoa  was  believed  by  the  Jews  before  any 
account  that  we  can  colled  concerning  the  religion 
of  the  Perfians,  which  cannot  with  any  certainty  be 
traced  higher  than  the  reign  of  Darius  Hyftafpis  ; 
and  Mr.  Dupuis's  ideas  of  the  views  and  conduct 

T  t  of 


346  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis' s 

of  the  firfl  preachers  of  Chriftianity  are  unfupport- 
ed  by  any  fa6ls  whatever,  and  make  its  reception 
by  the  powerful  and  the  learned  no  lefs  than  a  mi- 
racle. 

Mr.  Dupuis  traces  fome  things  peculiar  to  chrif- 
tianity  to  a  fource  even  higher  than  the  religion  of 
the  Perfians.  For  the  figures  and  names  of  the 
conftellations  are  older  than  any  thing  in  their 
country.  Speaking  of  the  conftellation  Virgo,  he 
fays,  p.  164.  "  This  fame  virgin  was  repreiented 
in  the  ancient  fpheres  with  a  young  child,  to 
which  flie  gave  (uck,  and  which  they  called  Jefus, 
or  Chrift,  *  whence  arofe  the  fable  of  the  Chrifti- 

ans 

*  That  the  names  of  Jefus  >  or  Chrift,  fhould  be  in 
any  ancient  fphere  is  in  the  higheli  degree  improbable. 
The  former  is  only  the  Greek  method  of  writing  Jcjlua) 
and  the  latter  word  is  pure  Greek,  being  a  tranflation  of 
Meffiah  which  in  the  Hebrew  fignifies  anointed.  On  this 
fubjeft  I  muft  refer  to  my  animadverfions  on  Mr.  Volney 
in  my  Qbfervaiions  on  the  Increafc  of  Infidelity,  and  my 
Letters  to  him. 

Mr.  Dupuis  quotes  a  padge  in  a  work  of  Abulmazar, 
a  Mahometan  Aftronomer  who  lived  in  the  ninth  centu- 
ry, in  which  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  46,  that  the  virgin  in 
the  Zodiac  held  in  her  arms  a  child,  "  which  fomc  perfons 
called  Jefus,  and  which  we  in  Greek  call  Chrifl." 
That  is,  fome  Chriftians  in  his  time  called  this  child  Je- 
fus. But  what  proof  is  this  that  this  child  was  fo  called 
ty  any  Perf°ns  before  the  Chriftian  sera  ?  There  is  al5» 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

ans  concerning  the  God  of  the  day,  and  of  the 
year,  which  fprung  from  the  chafte  loins  of  the  vir- 
gin, at  midnight,  at  the  rifing  of  the  ftar  which  the 
Magi  obferved."  How  deeply  learned  in  anti- 
quity mufl  the  founders  of  the  chriftian  religion 
have  been  ?  Surely,  they  mufthave  looked  higher 
than  the  converfion  of  the  common  people,  or  of 
women. 

This  fame  child,  however,  fuckled  by  the  con- 
ftellatian  Virgo,  and  of  courfe  one  of  the  ftars,  we 
find  prefently  advanced  to  a  much  higher  rank. 
He  is  nothing  lefs  than  the  fun.  "  From  the 
twelve  great  gods  of  Egypt"  Mr.  Dupuis  fays,  as 
quoted  before,  vol.  i,  p.  66,  "the  chriflians  have 
taken  their  twelve  apoflles,  the  companion  of  God, 
the  father  of  light,  whofe  death  and  refurreaion 
they  celebrate,  like  that  of  Adonis  in  Phenicia, 
and  Ofiris  in  Egypt.  Chrift"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p. 
118,  has  all  the  wonderful  characters  of  Mithra, 

Adonis, 

3  ftar  which  fome  call  Cor  Caroli.  But  will  it  therefore 
follow  that  the  name  of  king  Charles  of  England  was  in 
any  ancient  fphere  ?  And  yet  Mr.  Dupuis  triumphs  in 
this  argument.  "  Wliat  more,"  fay*  he,  p.  47,  «  can 
be  demanded  ?  They  affc  his  name,  and  here  arc  his  two 
names.  Can  there  be  any  miftake  here  ?  This  paflage 
is  precife,  and  joined  to  other  circumilances  is  of  the 
greateft  force."  Indeed,  it  hag  as  much  force  as  any  other 
argument  in  Mr.  Dwpuis'j  «laborate 


348  Remarks  on  Mr.  Bufuis's 

Adonis,  O!iris,  &c.  They  all  ditd:  defended  in- 
to hades,  and  rofe  again  like  him.  He  is  the  only 
Ion  of  an  invifible  father,  placed  beyond  the  vili- 
ble  univerfe,  and  who  alone  letains  his  image. 
Chrifl  being  the  fun,  the  firfl  day  of  the  week/'  he 
fays,  vol.  3,  p.  55,  "  is  called  ike  Lords  day, 
while  the  others  retain  the  ancient  names  of  the 
planets  to  which  they  were  dedicated,  as  Monday, 
&c. 

Mr.  Dr.puis  even  finds  this  extraordinary  doc- 
trine of  Chrifl  being  the  fun  in  the  gofpel  of  John, 
who  fays,  John,  i,  9,  that  he  enlighteneth  every  man 
that  cometh  into  the  world.  He  might  have  quoted 
a  fimiiar  authority  for  the  apoflles  being  the  fun, 
for  Chrifl  calls  them  the  light  cf  the  world,  Matt, 
v,  14. 

Not  content  with  deriving  both  the  fon  and  the 
mother  from  the  heathen  mythology,  the  chriflians, 
according  to  Mr.  Dapuis,  have  from  the  fame 
fouvce  got  the  mother  of  this  virgin.  "  They  have 
given,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  47,  "  to  the  virgin  her 
mother  Anna,  an  allegorical  name,  by  which  the 
Romans  defignated  the  revolution  of  the  j'ear, 
which  they  perfonified  under  the  name  of  Anna  Pe- 
renna^  at  the  fame  epocha  of  time  when  the  ancient 
year  commenced."  Now  that  Jews  (for  of  that  na- 
tion certainly  were  the  writers  of  the  New  Tefta- 
snent,  and  all  the  primitive  chriflians)  fhould  bor- 

row 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

row  any  thing  from  the  Romans,  whofe  religion 
they  always  regarded  with  the  greateft  abhorrence, 
would  be  thought  extraordinary  by  fcholars  of  a 
common  clafs  ;  but  in  Mr.  Dupuis  what  can  be 
lo  ? 

I  fhall  tire  the  fenfible  reader  with  quoting  thefe 
moft  extravagant  abfurdities,  which  hardly  admit 
of  aferious  refutation  ;  but  I  mufl  farther  obferve, 
that  the  Apocalypfe  furnifhes  Mr.  Dupuis  with  the 
largefl  field  for  the  difplay  of  his  ingenuity  and 
learning.  This  is  a  book  in  the  interpretation  of 
which  he  fays  (Explanation  of  the  plates,  p.  14) 
both  Boffuet  and  Sir  Ifaac  Newton  have  fail- 
ed, but  the  real  meaning  of  which  was  a  difcove- 
ry  of  his  own,  and  he  takes  the  pains  to  un- 
fold the  fuppofed  myfleries  contained  in  every 
chapter  of  it.  And  notwithftanding  he  fays  that 
he  advances  no  opinion  of  his  own,  he  maintains 
what  no  perfon  ever  did  before,  viz.  that  it  is 
"  a  Phrygian  work/'  vol.  3,  p.  186.  "  All  the 
ficlions  in  the  book,"  he  fays,  p.  202,  "  are  deri- 
ved from  the  oriental  myftagogues.  The  repetiti- 
on of  the  fame  number,  p.  221,  which  has  fuch 
a  (Inking  relation  to  the  divifions  of  aftrology,  leaves 
no  room  to  doubt  of  the  aftrological  character  of 
this  work  of  oriental  myfticifm.  It  is  compofed," 
he  fays,  p.  275,  "  from  fcraps  of  Ezckiel  and  Da- 
rnel, The  whole  appears,"  p.  246,  "  the  fruit  of 


Remarks  on   Mr,  Dupuis  s 

a  raifed  imagination,  and  which  gives  itfelf  up  to 
all  the  extravagancies  of  religious  delirium."  En- 
larging farther  on  the  object  of  it,  he  fays,  p.  303, 
"  it  was  a  religious  curb,  by  which  they  endeavour- 
ed to  preferve  for  a  time  the  ftate  of  morals,  which 
were  falling  into  decay,  and  by  which  fuperftitious 
fear  was  awakened  in  ages  of  ignorance.  Such  was 
the  object  of  the  Apocalypfe,  in  which  the  author 
makes  a  defcription  of  the  mifchiefs  with  which  the 
univerfe  was  threatened  on  the  approach  of  the  ge- 
neral ruin,  occafioned  by  the  diforders  of  men." 
Here  I  would  afk.  If  the  inventors  of  this  fcheme 
of  religion  afted  wifely  in  thus  attempting  to 
check  the  progrefs  of  vice,  can  Mr.  Dupuis  and 
other  unbelievers  be  acting  wifely  in  throwing 
down  this  barrier  ?  Or  have  they  fome  object 
different  from  the  promotion  of  virtue. 

Having  traced  all  the  articles  abovementioned  to 
a  heathen  fource,  Mr.  Dupuis  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  150, 
"  We  might  carry  our  fyftem  of  refemblances  much 
farther,  and  (hew  that  the  Chriftians  have  nothing 
peculiar  to  themfelves  ;  not  only  their  myfleries, 
or  their  theology,  but  even  their  religious  practices, 
their  ceremonies,  and  their  feflivals.  This  is  a 
work  which  I  leave  to  others,  unlefs  a  fuperabun- 
dance  of  leifurc  allow  me  to  employ  myfelf  in  this 
way,  to  demonflrate  the  nature  of  their  religion, 
and  its  conformity  with  the  moil  ancient  jreligions  3 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  351 

a  demonftration  which  the  prefent  inquiry  into  the 
origin  of  the  religion  does  not  require." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  author  will  find  the 
leifure  that  may  be  neceffary  for  this  great  work. 
It  is  certainly  of  much  importance  to  Chriflians, 
who  have  hitherto  known  nothing  either  of  the  ori- 
gin, or  of  the  nature,  of  their  religion  ;  having  now 
learned  the  former,  to  be  inftrucled  by  the  fame 
hand  in  the  latter ;  as  it  is  not  probable  that  any 
other  perfon  is  polfeifed  of  the  fame  means,  or  will 
do  it  fo  well.  In  the  mean  time,  it  may  be  of 
fome  ufe  to  him  to  hear  a  few  plain  obfervations 
on  this  part  of  his  kind  undertaking  ;  and  in  this  I 
will  endeavour  to  be  ferious.  But  previous  to 
this,  befides  the  general  account  abovementioned, 
we  mult  attend  to  a  few  farther  particulars  concern- 
ing the  conftru&ionof  this  fabulous  hiilory,  as  Mr. 
Dupuis  confiders  that  of  Chrift  and  the  apoftles 
to  be. 

"  The  hiilory,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  53,  "  which 
they  have  imagined  for  Chrift  is  rather  a  forrowful 
legend,  than  an  ingenious  poem,"  adding  what  I 
quoted  before.  "  In  general  this  legend  is  more 
wonderful  than  amufing  to  read,  and  does  not  mine 
with  refpecl;  to  ingenuity/'  Indeed,  it  is  as  plain 
and  unadorned  a  narrative  of  facls  as  ever  was  writ- 
ten ;  and  I  doubt  not  affords  little  amufement  to 
Mr.  Dupuis,  tho'  by  means  of  it  he  has  furnifhed 
matter  of  amufement  for  his  readers.  The 


35*  Remarks  en  Mr.  Duputis 

The  account,  however,  having  the  appearance 
of  a  regular  hiftory,  and  abounding  with  particulars 
of  perfons,  times,  and  places,  he  could  not  avoid 
endeavouring  to  account  for  this  circumftance ;  and 
with  refpecl;  to  it  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  54.  "  Hav- 
ing made  him  to  be  born  among  the  Jews,  they 
fubjecled  him  and  his  mother  to  Jewifh  practices. 
They  imagined  a  circumcifion  on  the  eighth  day, 
and  at  the  end  of  fix  weeks  the  mother  goes  to  the 
temple  to  purify  herfelf,  like  other  Jewifh  women. 
They  who  fabricated  the  flory  have  connected  the 
fuppofed  events  of  it  not  only  with  paiticular  pla- 
ces, as  Judea,  but  to  a  particular  epocha,  and  to 
known  names,  as  the  age  of  Auguftus  and  Tiberi- 
us, and  that  of  Pontius  Pilate,  whom  they 
have  brought  upon  the  fcene  near  an  hundred 
years  after  his  death,  when  they  contrived  the  ro- 
mantic (lory  of  the  god  of  light,  born  of  a  virgin,  on 
the  25th  of  December,  and  triumphing  over  dark- 
nefs  on  the  25th  of  March  at  the  vernal  equinox, 
in  his  pailage  into  the  lamb."  Mr.  Dupuis  has 
even  taken  the  pains  to  delineate  and  explain  the 
exact  pofition  of  the  heavens  at  the  time  of  the  fup- 
pofed birth  of  Chrift,  (Explanation  of  Plates,  p.  13, 
vol.  3,  p.  go,)  with  which  as  a  great  curioiity,  be- 
fore unknown  to  any  Chriftians,  I  fhall  prefent  my 
reader. 

"  The  horefcope  of  the  god  of  day  At  the  time 

of 


Origin  of  all  Religions. 

of  his  birth  in  the  winter  folftice  at  midnight, 
on  the  25th  of  December,  the  day  on  which 
the  ancient  marbles  fix  the  birth  of  the  invinfible 
fun." 

"  The  four  quarters  of  the  heavens  were  then 
occupied  in  the  Eaft  by  the  virgin,  and  her  rifing 
fon,  as  they  are  reprefented  in  the  Perfian  fpheres 
of  Aben  Ezra,  and  Abulmazar,  with  his  names  of 
Chrift  and  of  Jefus ;  in  the  Nadir  by  the  goat 
Capricorn,  in  the  Weft  by  the  ram,  or  the  celefti- 
al  lamb,  near  to  which  mines  the  bull ;  and  laftly 
in  the  Zenith  by  the  afs,  and  the  manger  of  Can- 
cer. At  the  feet  of  the  virgin  is  feen  his  bright 
ftar  called  Janus,  who  eight  hours  after  opened  the 
Roman  year,  holding  the  keys,  with  a  bald  fore- 
head, as  being  the  prince  or  the  chief  of  the 
twelve  months.  Above  the  lamb,  to  the  Weft, 
appear  the  three  ftars  of  the  belt  of  Orion,  vulgar- 
ly called  at  this  day  the  three  kings  of  the  Magi. 
Can  we  defire  a  more  exacl:  refemblance  to  Chrift 
born  in  a  manger,  by  the  lide  of  thefe  animals/' 
&c.  &c. 

After  fo  particular  a  defcription  of  our  Saviour's 
horofcope,  which  will  not  fail  to  excite  a  fmile  in 
the  intelligent  reader,  he  will  excufe  me  the  trou- 
ble of  tranfcribing  Mr.  Dupuis's  elaborate  expla- 
nation of  it,  as  well  as  his  equally  elaborate  com- 
mentary on  each  of  the  chapters  of  the  Apoca- 

U  u  lypfe, 


354  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupttis's 

lypfe,  which  makes  a  feparate  treatife  in  his  work. 
Mr.  Dupuis  fhould  have  informed  us  what  aftro* 
loger  was  prefent  at  the  birth  of  Jefus,  that  we 
might  be  certified  of  the  exa&nefs  of  fo  important 
an  horofcope.  For  the  evangelifts  fay  nothing 
even  of  the  feafon  of  the  year  in  which  he  was 
born ;  nor  do  I  think  that  he  was  born  in  a  liable, 
or  in  any  of  the  circumftances  affumed  by  Mr.  Du- 
puis. His  death  was,  no  doubt,  at  the  time  of 
the  Jewifh  paffover,  which  of  courfe  was  near  the 
vernal  equinox,  tho'  not  exactly  fo  ;  but  this  is  a 
circumftance  on  which  no  Chriftians  ever  laid  any 
flrefs.  His  triumph  over  darknefs,  by  which  Mr, 
Dupuis  fuppofes  fome  allufion  to  the  Periian  my- 
thology, is  the  arbitrary  comment  of  his  own. 
Chriftians  know  nothing  of  either  light  or  darknefs, 
in  thefenfe  in  which  he  understands  them. 

As  the  twelve  apoflles  are  mentioned  by  name, 
and  with  feveral  perfonal  circumftances,  in  the 
gofpel  hiftory,  Mr.  Dupuis  could  not  avoid  giving 
fome  account  of  them.  "  The  number  of  the 
twelve  apoftles,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  47,  "is  that 
of  the  figns  of  the  Zodiac,  and  of  the  fecondary 
genii  who  preiided  in  the  (igns.  They  were  the 
twelve  great  gods  of  the  Romans.  The  chief  of 
thefe  twelve  genii  had  the  fhip,  the  keys  of  time, 
like  the  chief  of  the  fecondary  gods  of  the  Romans, 
or  Janus,  on  whom  our  St,  Peter  was  modelled. 

This 


Origin  of  all  Religions* 

This  Janus  had  his  place  in  the  heavens,  in  the 
fame  celeftial  fign  in  which  ive  find  his  young  tnaf- 
ter,  that  is,  in  the  virgin  mother  of  Chrift,  who 
every  year  opens  a  new  folar  revolution,  as  we  may 
fee  in  Plutarch.  Thus  the  mother,  the  fon,  and 
the  twelve  apoflles,  are  placed  in  the  heavens,  in 
the  fame  point  of  the  Zodiac  which  opens  the  re- 
volution. If  he  had  difciples,  they  are  fixed  at 
feventy  two,  a  number  ftill  confecrated  in  the  al- 
legory of  the  fun  ;  and  fevsn,  that  of  the  planets, 
is  every  where  confecrated  in  the  Chriflian  I 
thriac  religion." 

Having  thus  allegorized  the  hiftory  of  C 
and  the  apoftles,  Mr.  Dupuis  found  it  convenicci 
to  advance  a  little  farther,  to  the  protomartyr  Ste- 
phen. "  In  the  horizon,"  he  fays,  vol.  3,  p.  91, 
"  is  feen  the  conftellation  Stephanos,  or  the  firli 
paranatcllon,  of  which  they  have  made  St.  Stephen, 
the  firft  perfon  for  whom  they  have  made  a  feftival 
day  after  that  of  the  birth  of  Chrift,  viz.  the  26th 
of  December.  He  is  followed  by  the  eagle  of  St. 
John,  whbfe  feftival  is  the  2jth  of  the  fame  month." 
.But  the  New  Teftament  fays  nothing  of  any  of 
thefe  feftivals,  any  more  than  of  thefe  conftellati- 
ons,  or  the  eagle  of  St.  John.  They  were  the  in- 
ventions and  additions  of  a  much  later  period,  arid 
by  perfons  who  certainly  knew  little  of  aftronomy. 
But  it  fuits  the  purpofe  of  Mr,  Dupuis,  and  other 

unbelievers, 


356  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis' s 

unbelievers,  to  conne&  with  Chriflianity  every  ab« 
furd  tenet,  or  practice,  that  has  patted,  under 
that  name.  Tho'  the  coiruption  be  ever  fo  ma- 
nifeft,  the  fy  Item  muft  be  made  anfwerable  for  it. 

To  vindicate  a  hiflory  fo  abundantly  authenti- 
cated as  that  of  the  promulgation  of  Chriftianity 
is  like  undertaking  to  vindicate  that  of  the  Romans 
in  the  age  of  Auguftus,  which  was  co-incident 
with  it,  and  not  better  known,  or  hitherto  deemed, 
by  friends  or  enemies,  lefs  unqueflionable.  And 
Mr.  Dupuis  is  particularly  unfortunate  in  the  time 
that  he  has  thought  proper  to  pitch  upon  for  the 
invention  of  this  hiflory,  viz.  as  we  have  fcen,  near 
a  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  Pilate.  For 
this  was  in  the  life  time  of  Juflin  Martyr,  Irenaeus, 
and  other  perfons,  who  were  writers,  and  whom  he 
quotes,  as  real  and  not  allegorical  perfons  ;  and 
who,  of  courfe,  muft  have  known  whether  it  was 
a  fiction  or  truth ;  and  in  that  age  both  Juftin 
himfelf,  and  many  others,  died  martyrs  to  their 
faith  in  it.  Juftin  was  by  profeffion  a  Platonic* 
philofopher,  and  always  wore  the  habit  that  was 
peculiar  to  it,  fo  that  he  was  as  little  likely  as  any 
man  to  fuffer  for  a  fiction. 

Mr.  Dupuis,  moreover,  neceflarily  makes  the 
inventers  of  the  evangelical  hiftory  profoundly 
learned,  efpecially  in  aftronomy  and  mythology  ; 
and  furely  fuch  men  as  thefe  could  not  have  lived, 

and 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  357 

and  have  continued,  in  abfolute  obfcurity.  They 
rnuft  have  been  well  known  to  men  of  letters  like 
themfelves,  and  have  left  fome  other  traces  of  their 
exiftence.  But  tho'  Mr.  Dupuis  can  difcover 
their  deep  erudition,  he  is  not  able  to  find  any 
trace  of  thmjclws,  their  names,  place  of  refidence, 
profeffion,  &c.  which  is  not  a  little  extraordi- 
nary. It  muft  alfo  have  been  fome  furprize  to 
himfelf  to  find  fo  much  learning  and  ingenuity  a- 
mong  Jews. 

How  came  that  mofl  curious  work,  as  he  confi- 
ders  it,  the  Apocalypfe,  written  by  fome  mofl 
profound  philofopher  (but  furely  not  the  only  rjer- 
fon  of  that  age  (killed  in  that  kind  of  learning)  not 
to  have  been  underftood  before,  and  to  have  pafTed 
wholly  unnoticed  except  by  Chriflians,  who  put 
a  very  different  conflruftion  upon  it ;  confidering 
it  as  a  fymbolical  reprefentation  of  future  events, 
and  not  a  concealed  defcription  of  a  myftagogical 
initiation  ?  Could  it  be  in  the  power  of  any  per- 
fon,  of  whatever  ability,  fo  completely  to  deceive 
all  the  world,  chriflians  and  heathens  ?  How 
came  this  great  fecret  to  be  kept  by  the  author  and 
his  friends  fo  effe&ually,  that  the  real  meaning  of 
it  was  not  difcovered  before  it  was  done  by  Mr.  Du- 
puis, in  fo  very  diftant  a  period  of  time,  and  under 
fo  great  difadvantage ;  fo  many  records  of  ancient 
learning  being  perifhed.  He  could  not  bepolfefT- 

ed 


358  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuh's 

fed  of  fo  many  materials  for  the  inveftigation  as 
thofe  who  were  co-temporary  with  the  writer,  or 
who  lived  before  the  general  deftruftion  of  books, 
and  other  monuments  of  learning,  in  the  dark  ages 
that  followed. 

Many  perfons  will  hardly  believe  that  Mr.  Du- 
puis  can  be  ferious  in  treating  the  gofpel  hiftory  as 
an  allegory  ;  fmce  there  is  all  the  evidence  that  is 
«ver  required  in  fimilar  cafes,  and  much  ftronger 
than  in  any  other  cafe  of  the  kind,  that  the  four 
gofpels,  and  the  other  books  of  the  New  Tefla- 
ment,  were  written  by  the  perfons  to  whom  they 
are  ufually  afcribed,  and  confequently  while  the 
tranfaftions  recorded  in  them  were  recent ;  fo  that 
the  perfons  into  whofe  hands  they  immediately 
came  were  judges  of  the  truth  of  the  accounts. 
And  thefe  books  having  been  by  them  tranfmitted 
to  us  as  genuine  and  true  hillories, «  we  have  their 
teftimony  in  addition  to  that  of  the  writers,  to  the 
authenticity  of  the  gofpel  hiftory. 

To  fay  nothing  of  Paul,  who,  however,  was  an 
apoflle,  five  of  the  original  twelve  apoftles  were 
writers,  viz.  Matthew,  Peter,  James,  John,  and 
Jude ;  and  if  we  judge  by  the  quotations  of  them  in 
others  writers  of  the  time  immediately  following, 
there  is  much  more  evidence  of  the  writings  ufual- 
ly afcribed  to  them  having  been  really  written  by 
them,  than  there  is  that  the  works  of  Salluft,  Cice- 
ro 


Origin  of  all  Religions*  359 

ro  or  Caefar,  were  written  by  perfons  who  were 
known  by  thefe  names.  There  is  therefore  lefs 
evidence  of  the  real  perfonal  exiftence  of  thefe  men 
than  there  is  of  that  of  the  apoilles. 

The  books  that  compofe  the  New  Teftament 
are  quoted  by  all  cotemporary  and  fubfequent  wri- 
ters, as  the  production  of  that  age,  and  they  con- 
tain as  much  evidence  of  the  internal  kind  as  is  ever 
expected  in  a  like  cafe,  viz.  their  containing  an  ac- 
count of  perfons  and  events  of  tho-fe  times,  and 
none  later.  Peter  quotes  the  epiftles  of  Paul  as 
ivell  known,  and  the  meaning  of  which  had  been 
perverted  ;  which  implies  that  much  attention  was 
given  to  them,  and  Paul  himfelf  was  then  living. 
For  it  is  laid  that  they  both  fuffered  martyrdom  at 
Rome  in  the  reign  of  Nero. 

Befides  the  unanimous  teflimony  of  early  Chrif- 
tian  writers,  that  the  gofpels  were  written  before 
the  deftruclion  of  Jerufalem,  it  may  be  clearly  in- 
ferred from  the  Atts  of  the  Apofdez,  which  was  ne- 
ver doubted  to  have  been  written  by  the  author  of 
the  Gofpel  of  Luke.  In  the  A6ts  of  the  Apoftles 
we  have  a  very  circumftaritial  account  of  the  travels 
of  the  apoftle  Paul,  and  it  ends  with  his  confine- 
ment at  Rome,  which  muft  have  been  A.  D.  62; 
and  in  the  Introduction  to  it  he  mentions  his  for- 
mer work,  which  was  therefore,  no  doubt,  written 
before  that  time.  In  any  fimilar  cafe,  fuch  evi- 
dence 


360  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis's 

dence  as  this,  when  uncontradi6led  by  any  other, 
is  always  admitted  as  fatisfa&ory. 

As  to  Tacitus,  who  gives  an  account  of  the  per- 
fecution  of  the  Chriflians  by  Nero,  and  fays,  "  they 
had  their  name  from  Chrift,  who  was  put  to  death 
in  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  when  Pontius  Pilate  was 
procurator  of  Judea,"  Mr.  Dupuis  fays,  vol.  3,  p. 
150,  that  "  he  wrote  near  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years  after  the  time  of  Chrift,  and  that  he  took  his 
account  from  Chriflians  without  any  examination 
of  his  own ;  but  that  this  will  no  more  prove  the 
exiftence  of  Chrift  than  his  making  mention  of 
Ofiris  after  the  Egyptians,  or  the  mention  of  Brah- 
ma by  a  French  writer  at  this  day  after  the  Hin- 
doos, will  prove  their  exiftence/' 

This,  however,  is  an  acknowledgment  that;  if 
not  Tacitus  himfelf,  the  Chriftians  of  that  early 
age,  and  who  by  his  account  were  a  great  multitude 
in  Rome,  were  perfuaded  of  the  real  exiftence  of 
Jefus  Chrift ;  and  fome  of  them,  who  had  fo  much 
at  flake,  would  furely  fatisfy  themfelves  whether 
there  ever  had  been  fuch  aperfon. 

But  Mr.  Dupuis  gives  a  very  erroneous  account 
of  the  age  of  Tacitus,  concerning  which  he  might 
very  eafily  have  fatisfied  himfelf.  He  was  born 
towards  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Claudius,  or  the  be- 
ginning ot  that  of  Nero,  he  was  much  favoured  and 
promoted  to  dignities  by  Vefpafian  and  his  fons, 

and 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  35$ 

and  he  died  about  feventy  years  after  the  death  of 
Chrift  ;  and  confequently  about  only  thirty  years 
after  that  of  the  generality  of  the  apoftles ;  fo  that 
whether  he  made  any  regular  inquiry  or  not,  he 
could  not  well  avoid  hearing  fome  authentic  account 
of  a  body  of  men  fo  recent,  and  fo  numerous.  It 
is  plain  that  he  wrote  without  any  doubt  on  the 
fubjecl:.  Let  any  writer  be  produced  fo  near  to 
the  fuppofed  time  of  Ofiris,  or  Brahma,  who  fhall 
fpeak  of  them  as  Tacitus  does  of  Chrift,  and  Mr. 
Dupuis,  I  am  confident,  would  not  hefitateto  al- 
low that  there  really  were  fuch  men. 

Mr.  Dupuis,  however,  when  he  wrote  this  muft 
have  forgotten  that  he  has  laid  the  fcene  of  the  in- 
vention of  the  fable  concerning  Chrift  near  a  hun- 
dred years  after  the  death  of  Pontius  Pilate.  Con- 
fequently there  could  not  have  been  any  Chriftians 
at  all  in  the  reign  of  Nero,  or  in  his  own  life  time. 
Into  fuch  abfurdities,  and  contradictions,  will 
ftrong  prepoffeffions  betray  men. 

I  do  not  find  that  Mr.  Dupuis  gives  any  account 
of  the  mention  of  Chrift  as  a  real  perfon  in  the 
Letters  of  Pliny,  or  the  hiftory  Suetonius,  who 
wrote  not  long  after  the  time  of  Nero.  From  thefe 
writers  it  appears  that  the  Chriftians  were  then  nu- 
merous in  all  parts  of  the  Roman  empire  ;  which 
comprehended  Judeaas  well  as  Spain,  fo  that  intel- 
ligence was  eafily  communicated  from  one  extremi- 

V  v  ty 


362  Remarks  on  Mr.  D 

ty  of  this  vail  empire  to  the  other.  It  was  a  highly 
civilized  age,  and  abounded  more  with  writers 
than  any  other  period  of  antiquity  before  or  after 
it;  and  at  this  time  Judea,  on  account  of  its  rebel- 
lion, was  a  very  interrefting  fcene,  the  country  be- 
ing reduced  from  a  ftate  of  great  population  and 
opulence  to  utter  defolation,  fuch  as  there  is  no  ex- 
ample of  in  any  other  hiftory.  The  Chriftians  be- 
ing all  this  time  expofed  to  perfecution,  the  fa£h 
on  which  their  religion  was  founded  could  not  fail 
to  intereft  both  its  friends  and  its  enemies  in  the 
higheft  degree ;  fo  that  they  could  not  efcape  a 
thorough  inveftigation.  That  an  impofition,  fuck 
as-  Mr.  Dupuis  fuppofes  Chriflianity  to  have  been, 
fhould  fucceed  in  fuch  an  age  as  this,  and  in  fuch 
circumftances  as  thefe,  muft  have  been  perfectly 
miraculous  ;  and  I  do  not  imagine  that  Mr.  Du- 
puis would  be  a  willing  advocate  for  miracles. 

Jofephus  makes  no  mention  of  Jefus,  or  of  Chrif- 
tians, tho'  he  was  cotemporary  with  the  writers  a- 
bove  mentioned,  probably  beeaufe  he  did  not  chufe 
to  fay  any  thing  in  their  favour,  and  he  had  noth- 
ing to  fay  againfl  them.  But  he  mentions  John 
the  Baptift,  and  the  apoftle  James,  with  much  rc- 
fpeft  ;  and  if  they  were  real  human  beings,  and  not 
conflellations,  their  relation  to  Jefus  will  prove  his 
exiftence  and  hiftory. 

If  the  hiftory  of  Jefus  and  the  twelve  apoftlea 

be 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  363 

be  an  allegory,  that  of  Paul  and  the  A&s  of  the 
Apoftles,  which  is  a  continuation  of  the  gofpels, 
muft  be  allegorical  alfo ;  and  fo  muft  the  next  pe- 
riod of  ecclefiaftical  hiftory,  which  is  connected 
with  it,  and  yet  Mr.  Dupuis  quotes  Juftin  Martyr, 
as  well  as  other  Chriftians  writers  of  that  age,  as 
out  of  the  region  of  allegory,  and  within  that  of 
real  exiftence.  He  would  have  written  much  more 
plaufibly,  if  he  had  maintained  that  if  there  ever 
were  fuch  perfons  as  Juftin  Martyr,  Irenasus,  Ori- 
gen,  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  or  Eufebius,  &c.  fome 
perfons  in  the  dark  ages  compofed  the  writings  which 
are  afcribed  to  them  for  their  amufement,  and  im- 
pofed  them  on  the  world  as  the  genuine  produc- 
tions of  an  early  age ;  that  thehiftory  of  the  conver- 
fion  of  Conftantine,  is  as  much  a  fable  as  that  of 
his  baptifm  by  pope  Silvefter,  and  his  donations  to 
the  church  of  Rome;  or  that  the  Chriftian  name 
was  unknown  till  about  the  time  of  the  Reformation 
by  Luther.  All  thefe  things  are  fo  connected, 
that  it  is  imjtoffible  to  feparate  them.  If  the  hiflo- 
ry of  the  Reformation  by  Luther  be  a  real  hiftory, 
fo  muft  that  of  the  Chriftian  church  in  the  age  pre- 
ceding it,  and  till  the  time  of.the  apoftles,  and  that 
of  Chrift  himfelf. 

I  (hall  conclude  this  article  with  what  I  obferv- 
ed  on  the  fubjeft,  immediately  after  I  firft  heard  of 
it.  in  my  Letters  to  the  Phihfofhcrs  and  Politicians  of 

France, 


364  Remarks  on  Mr.  Dupuis's 

France,  p.  29.  cc  Serious  as  the  fubje&  is,  it  is 
not  poflible  to  forbear  fmiling  at  fuch  palpable  ig- 
norance. I  fhall  expeft  that  the  fame  writers  will 
foon  attempt  to  allegorize  the  hiftory  of  Julius 
Caefar,  and  maintain  that  no  fuch  perfon  ever  ex- 
ifted.  For  there  is  riot  an  hundredth  part  of  the 
evidence  for  the  exiftence  of  Julius  Caefar  that 
there  is  for  that  of  Jefus  Chrift.  Hereafter  the  hif- 
tory of  France  itfelf  may  be  allegorized,  and  the  ve- 
ry names  of  Lewis,  Demouriez,  and  Pethion,  may 
be  derived  from  ancient  languages,  and  the  prefent 
war  of  your  Republic  againft  the  defpots  of  Europe 
be  faid  to  mean  nothing  more  than  the  war  of  the 
elements  of  nature." 

"  If  I  had  not  feen  fo  much  of  the  power  of  pre- 
judice, I  mould  wonder  that  fo  many  men  of  un- 
queftionable  good  fenfe  among  you,  and  even  able 
writers,  mould  have  given  fo  little  attention  as  they 
have  done  to  natural  probability  in  judging  concern- 
ing an  hiftorical  fubjecV* 


APPENDIX, 


Mt 


Origin  of  all  Religions.  365 


APPENDIX. 


Of  the  Allegorizing  Taknts  cf  Mr.  Boulanger. 

MR.  DUPUIS  was  not  the  firft  to  turn  the 
fcripture  hiftory  into  allegory.  In  tbis 
he  has  only  followed  the  example  of  Mr.  Boulan- 
ger ;  and  as  a  fpecimen  of  the  great  learning  and 
ability  of  the  latter  in  this  field,  I  fhall,  by  way  of 
Appendix  to  thefe  Remarks  on  the  work  of  Mr. 
Dupuis,  give  a  pretty  large  analyfis  of  his  Differta- 
tion  on  St.  Peter,  contained  in  the  fourth  volume 
of  his  works.  And  the  reader  muft  not  be  fur- 
prized  if,  in  explaining  the  hiftory  of  this  apoftle, 
he  goes  farther  back  into  antiquity  than  might  na- 
turally be  expe&ed. 

An  old  Phrygian  tradition,  preferved  in  Suidas, 
fays  that  before  the  time  of  Deucalion,  the  firft  king 
of  Phrygia  called  Nannacus,  Annacus,  or  Cannacus, 
was  informed  by  an  oracle,  that  after  his  death  all 
things  would  perifh,  an  event  which  he  lamented 
with  many  tears,  whence  came  the  proverb  to  weep 
like  Annacus.  (Univerfal  Hiftory.  vol.  5,  p.  513.) 
This  Annacus  (for  of  the  three  names  it  was  moft 
convenient  for  Mr,  Boulanger  to  make  choice  of 

this, 


366  Remarks  on  Mr.  Boulanger's 

this,  and,  reje&ing  the  Greek  termination,  to  re- 
duce it  to  Annac]  he  makes  to  be  the  fame  with 
Mofes's,  Enoch)  who  died  a  year  before  the  flood ; 
and  bccaufe  Enoch  lived  365  years,  he  makes  him 
to  be  the  fame  with  the  fun,  who  completes  his 
annual  revolution  in  fo  many  days  ;  and  becaufe 
he  immediately  renews  his  courfe  again,  and  there- 
fore never  properly  dies,  Enoch,  he  fays,  is  faid  to 
have  been  tranflated  without  dying. 

Faffing  from  the  Afiatic  to  the  Roman  hiflory, 
which  began  with  this  of  Afia ;  he  obferves  that 
fmce  jEneas  (whofe  name  he  reduces  to  &neach) 
was  remarkable  for  his  weeping  as  well  as  his  piety, 
he  alfo  may  be  the  fame  with  Annac.  And  tho' 
Anchyfes  the  father  was  not  tranflated,  yet  (which, 
he  fays,  is  perhaps  the  fame  fable  tranfpofed)  his 
wife  Creufa  was  carried  away  by  Venus  while 
Troy  was  in  flames. 

From  the  fame  origin  Mr.  Boulanger  derives  the 
name  of  Noah,  "  another  hiftorical  and  perfect 
Enoch,  or  true  Annac,"  and  by  a  farther  curious 
management  of  etymologies,  the  particulars  of 
which  I  omit,  he  makes  him  the  fame  perfon  with 
Hermes,  or  Mercury,  the  great  founder  of  religion 
and  laws. 

Now  becaufe  the  apoftle  Peter  wept  as  Annacus 
did,  he  alfo  muft  be  the  fame  perfon  with  him. 
Like  Noah,  and  Enoch,  Peter  foretold  the  end  of 

the* 


of  St.  Peter.  367 

the  world;   and  like  Hermes,  he  was  "  the  fabrica- 
tor of  the  thunders   of  religion."     He  is  therefore 
the  fame  with  them  ;  and  becaufe  keys  are  given  to 
Peter,  and  he  repented  at  the  crowing  of  a  cock,  he 
is  no  other  than  the   Roman  god  Janus,  who  is 
reprefented  with  keys  in  his  hand,  and  a  cock  at  his 
feet.     There  is  another  circumftance    of   refem- 
blance  between  them,  in  that  the  name  of  Janus  is 
derived  homjanua,   a  gate,  and  the  hiftory  of  Pe- 
ter, as  Mr.  Boulanger  obferves,  abounds  with  refer- 
ence to  gates  or  doors.     The  gates  of  hell  were  not 
to  prevail  againfl  him.      He  was  near  the  door,   or 
gate,  when  he  denied  his  mailer,  and  at  the  gate  of 
the  temple  when  he  and   John  reftored    the   lame 
man.     When  he  was  in  prifon  the  gates  were  mira- 
culoufly  opened  to  let  him  out.     When  he  found 
himfelf  at  liberty,  he  went  and  knocked  at  the  door 
of  a  houfe,  which  a  fervant  opened  to  him.   When 
he  was  at  the   gates  of  Rome  (for    Mr.  Boulanger 
makes  no  diftinclion  between  genuine  hiftory  and 
labulous  legends)    Jefus  met  him,   and  made  him 
promife  to  fubmit  to  crucifixion  ;  and  to  complete 
the  allufion  to  gates,  he  was  crucified  on  the  Jani- 
culum. 

Mr.  Boulanger  has  ftill  more  to  fay  on  the  fub- 
jeclof  Janus,  and  of  gates.     It  is  the  prerogative 
of  this  god  to  open  the  day,  and  to  have  all  prayers 
begin  with  his  name.     He  alfo  delivered  the  Ro- 
man* 


368  Remarks  on  Mr.  Boidanger*  s 

mans  from  the  Sabines  by  a  miracle  at  the  Viminal 
gate.  "  The  difference  between  thefe  legends," 
he  fays,  "  arifes  from  the  difference  of  languages, 
which  are  more  or  lefs  favourable  to  them.  Our 
modern  Janus,"  (meaning  Peter)"  he  adds  "  was 
the  fon  of  John"  (Bar- Jonas)  "  which  fignifies  be- 
nevolent, merciful,  one  who  grants  pardons ;  and  it 
is  therefore  the  primitive  root  of  the  Latin  Janus, 
whom  the  Salian  priefts  called  Jane,  Jones,  and 
fometimes  Jon" 

Peter,  he  farther  fays,  is  fometimes  called  Chep- 
has,  and  this  he  derives  either  from  a  Hebrew  word, 
which  fignifies  to  deliver,  fet  at  liberty,  or  from  ano- 
ther which  fignifies  to  bind  or  enchain;  and  the 
power  of  binding  and  loojlng  is  given  to  this  apoflle. 
But  nothing  is  better  known  than  that  Cephas  has 
precifely  the  fame  meaning  in  Hebrew  that  Peter 
has  in  Greek,  fo  that  they  are  perfectly  fynonimous, 
like  the  Mejfrah  and  Ckrift. 

(i  This  turn  for  allegory,"  he  fays,  "  we  find  in 
the  profcffion  of  Peter,  and  in  the  town  to  which 
he  belonged.  He  was  a  fimerman,  and  of  Beth- 
faida,  which  fignifies  the  houfe  of  fjhermen.  It  was 
fituated  on  the  lake  of  Genefareth,  not  far  from 
Gath-Epher,  the  ancient  abode  of  the  prophet  Jo- 
nas. "  Nothing"  he  fays,  "  can  equal  Cabbaliitic 
fagacity.  It  overlooks  nothing.  In  confequence 
of  this  the  fhip  of  Peter  is  found  in  the  medals  of 

Janus, 


Hiftory   of  St.  Peter.  369 

Janus,  the  ark  of  Noah,  and  the  fhip  of  Jonas ;  and  all 
the  three  were  expofed  to  great  danger  on  the  fea." 

"  If  we  attend/'  he  fays,  "  to  the  found  of  the 
word  Peter,  which  is  the  fame  with  Pctra.  a  rock, 
it  may  be  derived  from  a  Phenician  word  which 
fignifies  to  of  en,"  as  Peter  does  the  gate  of  heaven ; 
and  "  from  the  fame  word,"  he  fays,  "  we  have 
another  mythological  Being,  viz,  Baal  Peor,  wor- 
Ihipped  by  the  Moabites  and  Midianitcs  ;  and  this 
is  the  fame  with  the  antient  Janus  of  Phenicia. 
The  Ifraelites  who  began  their  journey  thro'  the 
wildcrnefs  with  the  worfhip  of  the  golden  calf,  na- 
turally ended  it  with  that  of  Baal  Pcor  ;  being  then 
at  the  opening,  or  entrance,  of  the  land  of  Canaan  ; 
and  there  Mofes.  v:ho  was  not  to  enter  that  coun- 
try, died.  This  piece  of  hiftory."  he  fays,  "  is 
worthy  of  the  Hebrew  genius,  and  fo  the  whole  of 
this  part  of  the  hiftory  appears  to  me  to  be  nothing 
but  an  allegory,  in  which  places  are  adjufled  to 
names,  and  names  to  places,  or  where  facts  are  fa- 
crificed  to  fancy,  as  in  the  reft  of  their  annals.  If  this 
Mofes,  whofe  fepulchre  could  never  be  found, 
whom  the  Rabbins  fay  was  tranflated  like  Enoch, 
and  whom  Peter  faw  on  mount  Tabor,  together 
with  Elias,  (another  ape  of  Enoch)  was  not  the 
fame  with  the  gcd  Peor,  the  fuppofition  is  not, 
however,  improbable." 

Thus  by  the  dexterous  management  of  ctymolo- 
W  w  gies 


370  Remarks  en  Mr.  Boulanger's 

gies  Mr.  Boulanger  has  fhown  that  old  Annacus  of 
Phrygia,  ^Eneas  of  Troy,  Hermes  of  Egypt,  and 
Janus  at  Rome,  in  prophane  hiftory ;  and  Enoch, 
Noah,  Baal  Peor,  Elijah,  Jonah,  and  probably  Mo- 
fes  too,  in  facred  hiftory,  were  the  fame  perfonwith 
the  apoftle  Peter,  and  that  they  all  reprefented  the 
fun.  With  the  fame  plaufibility  he  might  have  add- 
ed to  them  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  Senacherib  of 
Aflyria,  Nebuchadnezzar  of  Baby  Ion,  Cyrus  of  Per- 
fia,and  Alexander  the  Great.  For  at  forne  time  or 
other  they  had  probably  all  of  them  wept,  entered 
houfes  or  cities  by  doors  or  gates,  and  in  other  cha- 
ra&eriftic  circumilances  mentioned  by  this  writer 
have  refembled  the  prince  of  apoftles.  And  their 
wives  might  have  been  the  fame  with  the  wife  of 
Peter,  and  flic  no  other  than  the  moon  ;  fmce  me 
would  be  as  well  qualified  to  mine  in  that  orb,  as 
her  huiband  in  that  of  the  fun.  Moreover,  fince, 
as  Mr.  Boulanger  fays,  c:  Cabaliflic  fagacity  over- 
looks nothing/'  even  Peter's  wife's  mother  may  find 
a  place  in  this  curious  allegory.  Much  has  been  faid 
of  the  credulity  of  Chriflians,  but  what  is  it  compared 
to  that  of  many  unbelievers  ?  But  let  us  hear  Mr. 
Boulanger's  general  obfervations  on  this  fubjecl:. 

"  Such,"  fays  he,  "  is  the  conclunon  of  this  hif- 
tory, fabulous  indeed,  but  of  great  antiquity,  and 
I  difcover  in  it  things  that  we  did  not  know  before. 
We  were  ignorant,  for  example,   that  when  man- 
kind 


Miflory   of  St.  Peter.  371 

kind  changed  paganifm  for  Chriftianity,  the  gods 
themfclvcs  were  not  the  lad  to  change ;  and  that  ma- 
ny of  them  quitted  the  poetical  heaven,  for  the  Chrif- 
tian  paradife.  It  was,  no  doubt,  well  for  them  to  do 
fo,  but  better  for  us  to  learn  it  now,  after  being  igno- 
rant of  it  fo  many  ages.  It  remains  to  be  feen  wheth- 
er they  are  to  continue  in  their  places  long.  We  are 
now  in  the  habit  of  chafing  away  thefe  objecls  of  po- 
pular credulity,  tho'  hitherto  we  have  directed  our 
views  to  little  things  only;  whereas  we  ought  to  be- 
gin the  attack  with  the  chiefs  of  thefe  beatified 
idols,  fince  the  rout  of  the  army  follows  the  capture 
of  the  general.  I  have  now  taken  one  of  them,  and, 
Gentlemen  theologians,  I  deliver  him  up  to  you. 
.Strike  the  Jhepherd  and  the  Jtieep  will  be  fcattertd. 
The  prophecies  muft  be  accompliihed." 

"  When  we  (hall  have  analized  in  this  manner  a 
fcore  of  thefe  ancient  and  modern  legends,  we  may 
perhaps  arrive  at  the  knowledge  of  the  true  fyftem 
of  facred  and  profane  mythology.  The  fpecimen  I 
have  here  exhibited  is  of  fufficient  extent,  and  fuffi- 
ciently  diverfified,  to  enable  us  to  draw  from  it  a 
general  leffon,  and  principles.,  which  the  others  can 
only  confirm." 

If  any  perfon,  a  competent  judge  of  the  fubjecl:, 
can  perufe  this  miferable  rhapfody,  delivered  in 
this  confident  manner,  without  a  fmile  of  indigna- 
tion, or  contempt,  he  has  more  command  of  him- 

frlf 


372  Remarks  on  Mr.  Boulanger' s 

felf  than  I  can  pretend  to.  In  oppofition  to  it,  I 
will  venture  to  fay  that  there  is  hardly  any  hiflory 
whatever  that  has  more  marks  of  natural  chara&er, 
and  of  probability  in  the  events,  than  that  of  Peter, 
as  it  may  be  collected  from  the  Evangelifts,  with  the 
A6ts  of  the  apoflles,  and  his  own  writings.  And 
refpecl;  to  external  evidence,  his  exiflence  is  better 
authenticated  than  that  of  Mr.  Boulanger  himfelf, 
now  that  he  is  dead.  It  is  remarkable,  however, 
that  tho'  he  makes  a  mere  allegory  of  the  hiflory 
of  Peter,  he  appears  to  have  entertained  no  doubt 
of  the  literal  truth  of  that  of  Paul,  whom  he  lup- 
pofes  to  have  been  the  real  founder  of  Chriftiani- 
ty.  He  might  with  as  much  rcafon  maintain  that 
the  hiflory  of  Pompey  was  a  fable,  while  that  of 
Julius  Caefar  was  real. 

Abfurd  in  the  extreme  as  is  this  fpecimen  of  the 
writings  of  Mr.  Boulanger,  one  of  the  great  cham- 
pions of  modern  infidelity,  I  have  found  nothing 
better  in  any  of  them.  They  abound  in  the  mofl 
impudent  and  unfounded  afTertions  with  refpecl:  to 
fa6l,  and  what  is  mofl  obvioufly  futile  with  refpecl; 
to  reafoning.  But  confident  after  tion  goes  very 
far  with  thofe  who  are  ignorant  of  a  fubjec"l,  and 
efpecially  if  they  be  prcvioufly  difpofed  in  favour 
of  what  is  plaufibly  recommended  to  them ;  and 
that  this  is  the  cafe  with  the  generality  of  thofc  who 
abandon  Chriflianity  cannot  be  denied. 

THE 


T    H    £ 


W 


AND 


INSTITUTIONS  OF    MOSES 


METHODIZED. 


The  principal  Objett  of  the,    Hebrew  Religion  and 
fomc  general  Maxims  of  it. 

H  E  great  objeft  of  the  Hebrew  religion 
was  to  preferve  in  the  world  the  impor- 
tant knowledge  of  the  unity  of  god,  and  of  his  ad- 
miniftration  of  the  affairs  of  the  world,  in  oppofi- 
tion  to  the  univerfally  prevailing  polythcifm  and 
idolatry,  and  the  abominable  and  horrid  rites  to 
which  they  led,  by  which  human  nature  was  mod 
deplorably  debafed,  and  men  rendered  miferable. 
In  order  to  effecT;  this  great  purpofe,  the  rites  of 

the 


§74  The   Laws  and   Injlitutions 

the  Hebrew  worfhip  were  calculated  to  be  oppofed 
to  thofe  of  the  Heathens,  the  more  effectually 
to  guard  the  Hebrews  from  idolatry,  to  which  an 
imitation  of  their  cuftoms  would  have  led. 

2.  Many  things,  however,  the  Hebrew  religion 
had  in  common  with  thofe  of  other  nations.     But 
thefewere  probably  fuch  cuftoms  as  had  been  prior 
to  any  idolatry.     All  nations  had  facrifices,   ideas 
of  impurity,  and  modes  of  purification.     They  al- 
fo  had  temples,  as  well  as  altars,  tho'  it  is  not  cer- 
tain that  any  thing  of  this  kind  was   known  to   the 
heathens  before  the  erection  of  the  Hebrew  taberna- 
cle, or  even  the  temple  of  Solomon. 

3.  A  ftricl;    ritual  was   abfolutely  neceffary   to 
prevent  fuperftition.      Had   every  perfon  been  al- 
lowed to  facrifice  what  and  where  he  pleafed,  ther* 
would  have  been  room  for  endlefs  fancies,    and  of 
courfe  fuperftition,  that  is,  laying  an  undue   ftrefs 
on  particular  obfervances.     That   obfervances  en- 
joined by  God  had  no  particular  virtue,  and  would 
avail  nothing  without  moral  virtue,  the  Hebrew  na- 
tion had  the  moft  folemn  and  repeated  aflurance. 

4.  The  Supreme  Being  having  fet  apart  the  He- 
brew nation  to  be  his  peculiar  people,  to  be  dif- 
tinguifhed  from  all   other  nations  by   certain  rites 
and  privileges,  he  entered  into  a  kind  of  covenant 
with  them  for  that  purpofe  ;  and  they  were  to  bear 
(he  mark  of  it  on  their  flefb.  to  remind  them  ofthejr 

defcenf; 


Of  Mofes   methodized^  375 

defcent,  and  their  peculiarly  high  deftination.  For 
this  purpofe  they  were  circumcifed,  an  operation 
performed  firft  on  Abraham  at  the  time  that  Efau 
was  eight  days  old,  and  to  be  performed  ever  after 
on  the  eighth  day  after  the  birth. 

5.   In  confequence  of  God's  having   fpared  the 
firft  born  of  the  Israelites,  when  thofe  of  the  Egyp- 
tians were    deftroyed,  and   perpetually  to  remind 
them  of  this  great  interpofition  in  their  favour,  he 
claimed  a  peculiar  right  to  every  firil  born  of  them, 
even  of  all  their  cattle  (for  the  judgement  extended 
to  the  cattle  of  the  Egyptians,  as  well  as    to    the 
Egyptians  themfelves)  and  he  accepted  the  tribe  of 
Levi  in  (lead  of  them.     And  whereas  it  appeared 
on  the  enumeration  that  there  were  more  firft  born 
in  the  other  eleven  tribes  than  individuals  in  that 
of  Levi,  the  remainder  were  redeemed  in  a  manner 
particularly  prescribed ;  which  (hewed  that  the  God 
of  Ifrael  would  have  no  human  facrifiees,  not  even 
of  thofe  whofe  lives  he  might  have  claimed  for  that 
purpofe. 

6.  In  the  original  conftitution  of  the  Hebrew 
government,  the  nation  was  to  be  under  the  im- 
mediate direction  of  God  himfelf.  They  were  in 
all  cafes  of  great  emergency  to  apply  to  him  as  their 
firft  magistrate.  Their  laws  were  enabled  by  him, 
and  he  had  a  place  of  refidence  among  them.  Par- 
ticular perfons  were  appointed  to  be  the  medium 

of 


376  The  Laws   and    Injlitutions 

of  his  intercourfe  with  him,  and  they  were  dire&ed 
with  refpeft  to  the  manner  of  conducting  it.  When 
they  had  judges,  and  even  kings,  which  was  a  depar- 
ture from  the  original  plan  (a  cafe  which,  however, 
being  forefeen,  was  provided  for)  they  were  confi- 
dcred  in  no  other  light  than  Gods  vicegerents, 
a£ling  under  him ;  and  they  were  appointed  not  by 
the  people,  but  by  God  himfelf.  This  was  done  in 
the  cafe  of  Saul,  and  of  David,  and  even  with  refpecl: 
to  the  kings  of  Ifrael. 

The  peculiar  relation  that  the  Supreme  Being 
originally  bore  to  the  Hebrew  nation  continues  to 
this  day,  and  is  to  do  fo  to  the  end  of  time.  They 
flourifh  in  confequence  of  their  obfervance  of  th* 
religion  prefcribed  to  them,  and  are  punilhed  for 
their  departures  from  it.  Their  prcfent  difperfed 
and  calamitous  (late  was  clearly  foretold  by  Mof- 
es,  as  alfo  their  future  reftoration  to  the  divine  fa- 
vour. For  tho'  they  may  forfake  and  forget  their 
God,  he  will  never  forfake  or  forget  them.  The 
difcipline,  ordinary  and  extraordinary,  to  which 
they  are  fubjecled  will  in  a  courfe  of  time  produce 
its  proper  effe6L 

7.  The  ultimate  objec~l  of  this  extraordinary 
difpenfation  was  by  no  means  the  honour,  or  ad- 
vantage, of  one  favourite  nation  ;  but  by  their  hif- 
tory  and  difcipline  the  great  univerfal  parent  gives 
the  moft  important  leffons  of  inftru&ion  to  all  his 

offspring 


Of  Mcfes  methodized. 

offspring  of  mankind.  By  means  of  this  one  na- 
tion have  all  other  nations,  that  have  acquired  the 
knowledge,  been  taught  the  great  doctrine  of  the 
unity  of  God,  and  the  purity  of  his  worfhip.  By 
this  medium  only  have  they  been  reclaimed  from 
idolatry,  and.  from  the  horrid  and  abominable  cuf- 
toms  and  degrading  fuperflitions  derived  from  it. 
In  no  cafe  whatever  has  the  mere  reafon  of  man 
been  fufiicient  for  this  falutary  purpofe.  By  this 
means  the  Supreme  Being  has  preferred  upon  the 
minds  of  men  a  fenfe  of  their  dependance  on  him- 
felf.  and  of  their  obligation  to  him  ;  a  fentiment  of 
infinite  importance  ;  as,  befides  leading  them  to  eve- 
ry proper  act  of  devotion,  it  tended  to  imprefs  the 
minds  of  all  men  with  the  idea  of  their  common  re- 
lation to  one  God  and  father,  and  thereby  to  lead 
them  to  confider  each  other  as  brethren,  entitled 
to  even^  kiad  office  that  they  can  render  to  each 


X  X  Tke 


\ 


Of  Mofes  methodized. 


The  Introduction,  containing  an  Account  of  the  Cir- 
cumjlances  attending  the  Delivery  of  the  Law. 
Ex.  xxix,  1...25. 

PART        I. 

Laws  relating   to    Idolatry. 

Section  i.  General  Prohibitions  .  Ex.  xx,  22, 
23,  xxiii,  13,  Lev.  xix,  4,  Ex.  xxii,  20,  Lev. 
xxvi,  i,  2. 

Settion  2.  The  Canaanites  to  be  exterminated 
on  account  of  their  idolatry.  Ex.  xxxiv,  lo-.-i/, 
Num.  xxxiii,  50..  .56,  Deut.  vii,  1...6,  xii,  1..-4, 
29.  ..32,  xx,  16..  *i8. 

Szttion  3.  The  land  to  be  confidered  as  un- 
clean for  ibme  time  on  that  account.  Lev.  xix, 
23...25. 

Section  4.  The  punimment  of  idolatrous  Ifrael- 
ites.  Deut.  xvii,  2.  ..7,  xiii,  i...i8. 

Section  5.     Particular  idolatrous  rites  forbi 
Lev.  xx,  18,  xviii,  21,  xx,  12.  ..26,  Deut.  xviii,  9... 
14,   Lev.  xix,  31,  26,  xx,  27,  Ex.  xxii,  18,  Deut. 
21,  22,  Lev,  xix,    29,  Deut,  xxiii,   17,    18, 


xxn 


380  The  Laws  and  Injlilutions 

xxii,  5.  Lev.  xviii,  22. ..30,  Deut.  xiv,  i,  2,  Ex. 
xxxiv,  26,  Deut.  xivs  21,  Lev.  xix,  27,  28,  19, 
Deut,  xxii,  9.. .12,  Num.  xv,  37. ..41. 


PART         II. 

Criminal  and   Civil  Laws. 
Section  i.  Of  Courts  of  Judicature.    Deut.  xvi, 


SeSion  2.  General  maxims,  Lev.  xxiv,  22,  Deut. 
xxiv,  16,  xvi,  19,  20,  Lev.  xxiv.  18.  ..21,  Ex.  xxi, 
522.  ..25,  Lev.  v,  i,Deut.  xix,  15,,.  21,  xxv,  i?  2,3, 
xxi,  22,  23. 

Seftion  3.  Crimes  punifhable  with  death,  Lev. 
xxiv,  10..  .16,  23,  17,  Ex.  xxi,  12,  17,  Deut.  xxiv, 
7,  Ex.  xxi,  28.  ..32,  Lev.  xx,  9..  .18,  Deut.  xxi, 
18.  ..21,  Deut.  xxii,  22.  ..27,  Lev.  xx,  11,  12,  Ex, 
ixxii,  19. 

ScElion  4.  Of  places  of  Refuge,  and  of  Murder 
by  perfons  unknown.  Num.  xxxv,  9.  ..34,  Deut. 
xix,  i...i3?iv,  41.  ..43,  xxi,  1...9. 

SeSlon  5*   Crimes  not  puniihable  with  death. 

Ex. 


Of  Mcjes  methodized.  381 

Ex.  xxi,  18,  19,  xxii,  6,  Num.  v,  5.  ..8,  Ex.  xxii,  i... 
5,  xxi,  33..  .36,  xxii,  7...  15,   Deut.  xxv,  11,  12. 

Section  6.   Laws  relating  to  flaves.  Ex.  xxi,  20, 

21,   26,   27. 

Seftion  7.  Laws  relating  to  women.  Deut.  xxii, 
25.  ..29,  Ex.  xxii,  16,  17,  Lev.  xix,  20..  .22,  Deut. 
xxi.  15.  ..17,  Lev.  xviii,  1...21,  xx,  19.  ..21,  Deut. 
xxii,  30,  13.  -.2  1,  xxv,  5..  .10,  xxiv,  1..-4,  Num. 
xxvii,  L..II,  xxxvi,  1...13,  Num.  v,  11.  ..31. 

PART       III. 

Precepts  of  Morality. 

S  eft-ion  i.  The  ten  commandments.  E:c.  ::::... 
21,  Deut.v,  i.  ..33. 

Stftion  2.  Precepts  relating  to  piety.  Lev.  xix, 
i,  2.  xvii,  12. 


ion^,  Precepts  relating  to  Juflice.  Ex.  xxii, 
6,  7,  Lev.  xvii,  15,  xix,  35.  ..37,  Ex.  xxii:,  8, 
Lev.  xvii,  11,  Ex.  xxiii,  i..»3,  Lev.  xvii,  16,  D^  I. 
xxv,  13..  .16,  Lev.  xvii,  13,.  Deut.  xxiiij'24,  25, 
Deut.  x,  14,  Lev.  xviii,  20,  Deut.  xx,  8. 

Stclion  4.   Precepts  relating  to  benevolence  and 

me  rev. 


382  The  Laws  and  Injlitiitions 

mercy.  Lev.  xvii,  18,  Deut.  xxii,  1..-5,  Ex. 
xxiii,  4,  /j}  xxii,  22. ..24,  Lev.  xvii,  14,  Deut. 
xxiv,  6,  Ex.  xxii,  25. ..27,  Lev.  xxv,  35. ..38, 
Deut.  xxiii,  19,  20,  Deut.  xxiv,  io...i3,  Deut. 
xxiii,  15,  16. 

Section  5.  Precepts  relating  to  flrangers  and 
flaves.  Ex.  xxiii,  9,  xxii,  21,  Lev.  xix,  33,34, 
Deut.  xxiv,  14,  15,  17,  18,  Lev.  xvii,  9,  10, 
xxiii,  22,  Deut.  xxiv,  19. ..22. 

Scttion  6.  Precepts  relating  to  brute  animals. 
Deut.  xxv,  4. 

Section  7.  Mifeellaneous  precepts.  Lev.  xvii, 
17,  xix,  3. ..32. 


PART        IV. 

Rules  relating  to  Food. 

Lev.  vii,   26,   27,   xvii,    10,    16,  Ex.  xxii,   31, 
Lev.  vii,   22,,, 25,  Lev.  xi,  1...47,  Deut.  xiv,  3... 

21. 

RT 


Of   Mofcs  methodized.  383 

PART        V. 

Rules  relating  to  Defilement. 

Section  i.  Of  the  leprofy.  Num.  v,  i...^,  Lev. 
xiii,  1-.-59,  xiv,  I..-57,  Deut.  xxiv,  8;  9. 

Section  2.  Of  imcleannefs  to  which  men  chiefly 
are  liable.  Lev.  xv,  i...i8,  v,  23,  Deut.  xxiii,  10, 
11,  Lev.  vii,  21,  Deut.  xxiii,  12...  14. 

Section  3.  Of  uncleannefs  incident  to  women. 
Lev.  xii,  i.  ..8,  xv,  19.  ..33,  xviii,  19. 

Section  4.   Of  thii  v/ater  of  purification.     Num. 


PART        VI. 


O/"  Fcflivah  and  I  /   . 

Section  i.   Of  the  fcilivals  in  general.    Ex.  xxiii, 
14..  .17,  xxxiv,  22.  ..24,  Deut.  xvi,  16,  17. 

Section  2.   Of  the  fabb.ifch.  Ex.  Xxs,  12...  17,  xxxv, 
1..-3,  xxiii,  12,  xxxiv,  21,  Lev.  x]x,  30,  xxiii,  i,  2  3, 

Num.  xr/iii,  9,  10,  xv,  32.  ..36. 

Stclion  3, 


384  The  Laws   and  Injlitutions 

Scttion  3.  Of  the  Sabbatical  year,  and  the  Ju- 
bilee. Ex.  xxiii,  10,  n,  xxi,  1...6,  Lev.  xxy,  i... 
34.  33-55>  Deut-  xv>  i-18'  xxxi>  9-13- 


ioji  4.  Of  the  Paflbver,  and  the  feaft  of  un- 
leavened bread.  Ex.  xii,  i.  ..30,  40..  .49.  xiii,  i...i6, 
xxxiv,  25.  Num.  xxviii,  16.  ..25,  Ex.  xxxiv,  18,  Lev. 
xxiii,  4.  ..8,  Num.  ix,  1...14,  Deut.  xvi,  1...8. 

Sctiion  5.  Of  Pentecoft.  Lev.  xxiii,  15...  21, 
Dcut.  xvi,  9...  12. 

Scfticn  6.  Of  the  feaft  of  trumpets,  and  of  taber- 
nacles. Lev.  xxiii,  23.  ..25.  Num.  xxix,  I...6,  Lev. 
xxiii,  33.  ..44,  Num.  xxix,  12.  ..40,  Dcut.  xvi,  13... 

J5- 

ScBicn  7.   Of  the  new  moon.    Num.  xxviii,  11... 


Section  8.    Of  the  day  of  Expiation.    Lev.  xvi, 
i,.»34,  xxiii,  26. ..32,   Num.  xxix.  7, .,11. 

PART      VII. 


Of  the  firft    Fruits. 
EI.  ixli,  29,    30,.  x^iii,  19,    Leyf   ii,   12, 


Of  Mojes  methodized.  385 

g...i4,    Num.     xxviii,   26.. .31,  Deut.    xxvi,    i... 
X9- 


PART       VIII. 


Of  the    Tafarnach,  and  the  tilings  cortained  in  it. 

Scttion  i.  Of  the  tabernacle  in  general,  and  the 
ereftion  of  it.  Ex.  xxv,  i...g,  xxxi,  i...n,  xxxix, 
32. ..43,  xl,  i...n,  17. ..35. 

Section  2.  Theinclofure  and  the  coverings.  Ex. 
xxvi,  1..-37,  xxvii,  9. ..19,  xxxvi,  8. ..38,  xxxviii, 
9-31- 

Setfion  3.  Of  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  of 
altars  in  general.  Ex.  xxvii,  1...8,  xxxviii,  i...j, 
xx,  24. ,.26. 

Seftion  4.  Of  the  layer.  Ex.  xxx;  17... 21, 
xxxviii,  8. 

Sefiion  5.  Of  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  Ex. 
:xv,  io..»22,  xxxvii,  i...i6. 

Y  y  Section  6, 


386  The  Laws   and  InJlitiUions 

Seftion  6.  Of  the  altar  of  inccnfe.  Ex.  xxx,  i.., 
10,  xxxvii,  25. ..28. 

Settion  7.  Of  the  table  of  flicw  bread.  Ex.  xxv, 
23.^.30,  Lev.  xxiv,  5. ..9. 

Section  8.  Of  the  golden  candleflick.  Ex.  xxv, 
31. ..40,  xxvii,  20,21,  xxxvii,  17. ..24,  Lev.  xxiv, 
1..-4,  Num.  viii,  1...4. 

Settlor*  g.     Of  the  holy    oil.     Ex.  xxx,   22... 

29. 

Settion  10.     Of  the   trumpets.     Num.   x,    i... 

^  o« 

Seftion  11.  Of  the  confecration  of  the  taberna- 
cle *nd  its  uteniils.  Lev.  ix,  i.,,24. 

PART  IX. 


Of  Mofes  methodized.  387 


PART        IX. 


Of  0/erings. 

Section  i.  What  may  be  offered.  Ex.  xxxiv, 
19,  20,  Dcut.  xv,  19. ..23,  Lev.  xxii/26...28,  Deut. 
xvii,  i,  Ex.  xxiii,  18. 

Scftion  2.  Of  the  place  where  offerings  mull 
be  made  and  eaten.  Lev.  xvii,  I..-9,  xxii,  23. ..33, 
Deut.  xii,  5. ..28. 

Settion  3.  Of  burnt  offerings.  L*v.  i,  i,..!/, 
vi,  8. ..13,  Num.  xv.  i...i6. 

Scttion  4.  Of  meat  offerings.  Lzv.  ii,  i...i6, 
vi,  14.. .18,  x,  12. ..15. 

Scttion  5.  Of  peace  offerings.  Lev.  iii,  1...1/, 
xix,  5. ..8,  vii,  n. ..20,  28.. .3^4. 

Sect-ion  6.     Of  lin  offerings,  and  trefpafs  ; 
in.^s.     Lev.  iv,  1..-35,  vi,  24, ..30,  Num.  xv,  22... 
31,   Lev.v,  I4...i9,vi,  1...7,  vii,  I...IG. 

Section  7.  Of  the  daily  offerings.  Num.  xxviii, 
1...8,  Ex.  xxix,  38. ,.46. 

Section  8. 


388  The  Laws  and  fn/titutions 

ScBion  8.  Of  offerings  on  numbering  the  peo- 
ple, and  on  entering  the  land  of  Canaan.  Ex 
xxx,  11. ..16,  Num.  xv,  17. ..21. 


PART         X. 

Of  the  Priefts  and  Levites. 
Stftion  i.     Of  their  appointment.      Num.  iii, 

11. ..22,  39.. .51,    IV,  46.. .49, 

Station  2.  Their  qualifications.  Lev.  xxi, 
1...24,  xxii,  1...9,  x,  8. ..11, 

Setticn  3.  Their  confecration.  Ex.  viii,  I...28, 
xxix,  i...$7,  xl.  13.. .16,  Num.  viii,  5. ..26.  Lev. 
vi,  19.. .23,  vii,  35..-3S. 

Settion  4.     Their  duty.  Num.  iii,  5.. .10,  xviii, 
Section  5.     Their  habits,     Ex.   xxviii,  1...43, 


xxxx 


Seffiion  6,     Their  maintenance.     Num.   xviii., 
8...  24,   Lev.   xxii,    ix)-,i6,    Deut,    xviii,    1...8, 

Num. 


Oj  Mofes  methodized.  389 


Num.  xxxv,  i.,.8,  xviii,  25.. .32,  Deut.  xiv,  22... 
36,  Lev.  xxvii,  30. ..34,  Deut.  xiv,  27.1.29. 


PART       XL 

Of  the  Nazaritcs. 
Num.  vi,  i,..2i. 

PART      XII. 
Of  Vows. 

Num.  xxx,   i. ..16,  Lev.  xxvii,   1...20,  Deut 
xxiii,  21...23,  Lev.  xxii,  17. .,25,  v,  4, ..13. 

PART  XIII. 


390  The  Laws  and  Injlituiions 

PART        XIII. 

Laws  of  War. 

Dcut.  xx,  1...15,  xxiv,   5,  xxiii,  9,  xx,   19,  20, 
xxi,  1O...14- 

PART        XIV. 

Mifcellancous     Articles, 

Scftion  i.     Rules    concerning    naturalization. 
Deut.  xxiii,  1...8. 

Scttion  2.     Future  prophets   promifed.    Deut. 
xviii,  15.  ..22. 

Scttion  3.  Dir^Qions  concerning  kings.     Deut. 
xvii,  14.. .20. 

Settion  4.    Orders  concerning   the  Amalckites. 
Deut.  xxv,    17,. .19. 

Scffion  5.  Orders  concerning  the  writing  of  the 
law.  Deut.  xxvii,  i,.,8. 

PART  XV. 


Of  Mofes  methodized.  391 

PART        XV. 

Exhortations  to  Obedience, 

Settion  i.  General  exhortations.  Deut.  iv,  i,,. 
40,  vi,  1...25,  vii,  7. ..26,  viii,  i.,.2O,  ix,  i.«.22, 
xi,  i. ..32,  xxix,  1...29. 

SeElion  2.  Prophetical  bleffings  in  cafe  of  obedi- 
ence,  and  curfes  in  cafe    of  difobedience.     Lev. 
xxvi,    3. ..46,   Dcut.  xxvii,  9<,f26,  sxviii,  1...68, 
1...30,  xxxji,  i,,,52. 


A      D      D      R  S      S 


TO       THE 


E          W 


Defendants  of  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  Jacob, 

T3  E  not  offended  at  a  Chriftian,  who  from 
•*~*  his  early  years  has  entertained  the  greatcft 
refpecl:  and  veneration  for  your  nation,  and  who  in 
this  work  has  endeavoured  to  vindicate  the  honor 
of  your  religion,  and  to  evince  its  fuperiority  to 
all  other  ancient  religions,  to  addrefs  you  on 
the  prefent  extraordinary  fituation  of  the  world 
in  general,  and  of  yourfelves  in  particular.  The 
Hate  of  the  world  at  large  has,  in  the  great  plan 
of  providence,  always  borne  a  particular  relation 
to  you,  as  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  as  feparated 
from  other  nations,  to  be  the  inftrucliors  of  man* 
kind  in  what  moft  of  all  concerns  them,  viz.  rdi- 

Z.  2  gion, 


394  -An   Addrefs 

gion,  in  the  knowledge  and  worfhip  of  the  one 
trae  God  ;  and  it  has  been  by  means  of  your  na- 
tion that  this  mofl  valuable  knowledge,  the  only 
antidote  to  a  wretched  and  debating  fuperflition, 
has  been  prefcrvcd  in  the  world. 

While  all  other  nations,  feveral  of  them  more 
advanced  in  civilization  than  yourfelves,  were  funk 
in  the  grofleft  polytheifrn  and  idolatry,  and  in 
confequence  of  it  adopted  rites  the  mofl  Clocking 
to  humanity  and  decency,  your  inftitutions  held 
out  to  the  world  the  purefl  worfhip  of  the  great 
maker  of  all  things,  and  the  mod  foiemn  and  de- 
cent forms  of  conducing  that  worfliip;  a  religion 
fubfervient  to  the  pureft  moralify,  the  fundamental 
principles  of  which  the  religions  of  other  nations 
continually  incited  them  to  violate. 

Permit  me  to  cxprefs  the  high  fenfe  I  have  of 
the  honour  you  have  done  youridves,  and  your  re- 
ligion, by  your  unfhaken  faith  in  its  divine  origin, 
and  the  firmnefs  with  which  you  have  borne  fuch 
trials  as  no  other  people  were  ever  expofed  to,  and 
for  a  length  of  time  that  might  have  been  thought 
fufficient  to  exhauft  the  patience  of  man.  But, 
firmly  perfuaded  of  the  righteous,  tho'  unfearch- 
able,  ways  of  providence,  and  having  the  mofl 
glorious  profpe&s  before  you,  your  faith  is  as 
firm  at  this  day  as  it  was  two  thoufand  years  ago. 

You  fee  ia  the  writings  of  Mofes   the  cleared 

forefight 


To   the  Jews.  395 

forefight  of  your  prefent  difperfion  into  every  part 
of  the  known  world,  and  ail  the  circumftanccs  of 
fuffering  and  reproach  ar tending  it.  But  in  the 
fame  writings  you  read  the  niofl  exprels  proii.if.s 
of  your  reftoration  and  final  glory.  And  the 
fame  power  that  has  execnt^ci  his  threathings?  and 
to  the  aftonilhment  of  the  world  preferred  you  to 
this  day  a  feparate  nation,  tho'  mixed  with  all 
others,  will,  no  doubt,  in  his  due  time,  accom- 
plifh  every  thing  that  he  has  promifed  in  your 
favour. 

i.  You  are  deftined,  in  the  wife  councils  of 
God,  to  be  the  firft  of  nations,  and  your  faith  and 
patience  will  be  crowned  with  an  abundant  reward. 
Great  beyond  example  as  have  been  your  iuffer- 
ings,  the  fure  word  of  prophecy  allures  you  they 
will  bear  no  fenfibl^  proportion  to  the  happinefs 
that  awaits  you.  You  know  what  the  prophet 
Ifaiah  fays  on  this  fubjecl,  Ch.  liv.  5.  Thy  maker 
is  thy  hu/band,  the  Lord  of  hojls  is  his  name,  and 
thy  redeemer  the  holy  one  of  Ifrael ;  the  God  of  the 
whole  earth  jliall  he.  be  called.  For  Jehovah  hath 
called  thez  as  a  woman  forfaken,  and  grieved  in  f pi- 
nt, and  a  wife  of  youth,  when  then  waft  refufed, 
faith  thy  God.  For  a  fmall  moment  have  If orfaken 
t.'iee,  but  with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee.  In 
a  bttle  wrath  I  hid  my  face  from  thce,  for  a  moment, 
.lut  with  cverlafling  kindnefs  will  I  havi  mercy  on 

thu 


396  An    Addrefs 

thee  faith  the  Lord  thy  redeemer.  For  this  is  as  the 
waters  of  Noah  unto  me.  For  as  I  have  fworn  that 
the  waters  of  Noah  fhould  no  more  go  over  the  earth, 
Jo  ham  I  fworn  that  I  will  not  be  wroth  with  thct 
nor  rebuke  thee.  For  the  mountains  Jhall  dtpart, 
and  the  hills  be  removed,  but  my  kindnefs  Jhall  not 
depart  from  thee,  neither  Jhall  the  covenant  of  my 
peace  be  removed,  faith  the  Lord  who  hath  mercy  on 
thee. 

Wonderful  as  was  your  deliverance  from  a  flate 
of  bondage  in  Egypt,  your  reftoration  from  your 
prefent  difperfed  and  calamitous  fituation  will  be 
an  event  much  more  extraordinary  and  memora- 
ble. This  is  particularly  noticed  by  Jeremiah  ? 
Ch.  xvi.  14.  Behold  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord, 
that  it  fnall  no  more  be  faid,  the  Lord  liveth  that 
brought  up  the  children  of  Ifracl  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt  ;  but  the  Lord  liveth  who  brought  up  the  chil- 
dren of  Ifrael  from  the  land  of  the  North,  and  from 
all  the  lands  whither  he  had  driven  them  ;  and  I  will 
bring  them  again  into  their  land  that  I  gave  unto 
their  fathers. 

2.  You  have,  long  wifely  ceafed  to  make  any 
exaft  computation  of  the  time  when  thefe  great 
events  -will  take  place.  The  prophecies  were  not 
intended  to  make  us  prophets,  any  farther  than  to 
give  us  an  affurance  of  great  and  intcrefling  fu- 
ture events,  and  fome  figns  of  their  approach,  in 

order 


To  the    Jews. 

order  to  furnifh  exercife  for  our  faith,  patience,  and 
attentive  obfervation.     But  the  Hate   of  the  world 
at  prefent  is  fuch  as  cannot  fail  to  engage  your  par- 
ticular   attention  ;   there  being   evident  fymptoms 
of  the  time  of  your  deliverance  being  at  hand.   But 
when  I  fay  at  hand,  I  do  not  mean  this  year  or  the 
next,  or  the   next   twenty  or   thirty    years.      For 
what  are  twenty  or  thirty  years  to  the   duration   of 
your  fufferings,  and  efpecially  to  that  of  your' fu- 
ture profperity.     In  the  eye  of  God,   or  of  a  man 
who  (hall  take  into  his  view  the  whole  of  the  divine 
difpenfations  refpecling  your  nation,  even  the  term 
of  human  life  is  but  as  a  day.      However,  to  u- 
the  exercife  of  your  patience  the  eafier  to  you,    i; 
has  pleafed  God,  in  whofe  hands  are  the  hearts  of 
all  men,  and  who  turns  them   as  the  rivers  of  water 
which  -way  f ciever  he  pleafes,  to  abate  the  fe verity  of 
your    fufferings  ;    the;    treatment    you    now    meet 
with  being  every  where    more  favourable    than  it 
has  been  in  time  pad. 

Ifaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  and  the  other  prophets 
who  have  enlarged  the  mofl  on  the  circumftances  " 
of  your  reftoration  and  future  glory,  have  given  no 
intimation  of  the  time  when  thefe  great  events  are 
to  take  place.  But  Daniel,  who  barely  mentions 
your  reftoration,  gives  feveral  notes  of  the  time  ; 
which  as  they  have  engaged  much  of  my  attention, 
I  ihall  take  the  liberty  to  propofe  to  yours,  rejoic- 


An   Addrcfs 

ing  with  you  in  the  fainted  appearance  of  the  dawn 
of  fo  glorious  a  day. 

From  feveral  of  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  I  think 
it  may  be  inferred  that  the  time  of  your  deliverance 
is  at  no  great  diflance.  The  firft  of  them  occurs  in  the 
fccond  chapter  according  to  our  divifion  of  the 
book,  in  which  an  account  is  given  of  a  prophetic 
dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  the  interpretation 
of  it  by  Daniel.  From  this  we  find  there  were  to 
be  four  great  empires  fucceeding  one  another,  and 
that  the  firfl  of  them  was  the  Babylonian.  This 
being  admitted,  the  three  others  muft  be  the  Per- 
fian,  the  Macedonian,  and  the  Roman.  This  lafl 
was  to  be  divided  into  ten  others,  reprefented  by 
the  toes  of  the  image,  which  were  part  of  iron  and 
part  of  clay;  and  to  this  defcription  anfwer  the 
ten  kingdoms  which  arofe  out  of  the  ruins  of  the 
Roman  empire  on  its  invafion  by  the  northern  na- 
tions of  Europe.  In  this  I  believe  all  interpreters 
'are  agreed. 

How  long  each  of  thefe  empires,  or  the  ten  into 
which  it  was  to  be  divided,  were  to  continue,  is  not 
faid ;  but  the  ten  are  to  fall  at  the  fame  time  ;  by 
the  fall  oiajlonc  cut  ~ut  of  a  mountain  without  hands, 
which  breaks  the  whole  image  in  pieces,  and  then 
becomes  a  great  mountain  filling  the  whole  earth. 
The  flate  of  things  that  follows,  this  is  called  a  king- 
dom fd  up  ly  the  God  a  hetuen,  and  which  will  nc- 


To  the  Jews.  399 

ver  be  dejlroyed,  or  given  to  any  other  people.    Dan. 
ii.  44. 

The  ten  kingdoms  in  this  prophecy  are,  no  doubt, 
the  prefent  European  monarchies,  which  from  the 
breaking  up  of  the  Roman  empire  to  this  day  have 
always  been  either  exactly  ten.  or  {ufficiently  near 
to  that  number.     Whenever  therefore,  we  fee  any 
of  thefe  monarchies  deflroyed,  without  any  profpe£l 
of  its  rifing  again,  we  may  conclude  that  the  fall  of 
the  reft  will  Soon   follow;  that  the  fame   train  of 
caufes  and  events  which  in  the  hand  of  providence 
is  the  means  oi  overturning  the  firft,  will  continue 
to  operate  till  the  defiruciion  be  univerfal.      For  it 
is  one  fall  of  the  fame  flone  that  breaks    them  all. 
It  is  alfo  evident  from  the   prophecy,  that  the  fall 
of  thefe  monarchies  is  to  be  with  violence,  and  not 
by  peaceable  revolutions.   Tae  image  is  to  be  broken 
in  pieces,  and  wholly  conjumed,  yea  to  become  like  chaff 
inthefammer  threjhing  Jloor  which  the  wind  carries 
away,  fo  that  no  place  JJiall  be  found  for  them.     The 
kingdom   which  the  God  of  heaven  will  fet  up  af- 
ter this,  and  which  is  to  continue  for  ever,    is,    no 
doubt,  that  of  your  nation,  which,  whether  it  will 
have  a  direcl  dominion  over  others,  or  not,  will  be 
the  moft  diftinguifhed,  and  in  fome  way  or  other 
receive  the  homage,  of  all  others. 

The  fame  fucceffion  of  empires  was  reprefcntcd 
to  Daniel  in  the  firft  year  of  Belihazzar,  under  the 

figure 


4OC  An  Addrefs 

figure  of  four  beafts.  Of  this  we  have  an  account 
in  the  feventh  chapter.  Of  thefe  beafts  the  laft, 
which  was  much  ftronger  than  any  of  the  preced- 
ing, had  ten  horns,  denoting,  no  doubt;  the  fame  ten 
kingdoms  of  the  preceding  prophecy.  Among  thefe 
herns  there  arifes  another  little  horn,  before  which 
were  plucked  up  ly  the  roots.  It  had 
eyes  like  thofe  of  a  man,  and  a  mouth  fpeaking  great 
jS,  Dan.  vii,  8,  20.  This  horn  reprefents  a 
.  ,;r  which  was  to  make  war  upon  the  faints,  and  to 
prevail  againji  them.  It  was  to  change  times  and 
laws,  and  this  power  was  to  be  given  to  it  till  ths 
time  came  that  the  judgment,  or  fupremc  power, 
would  be  given  to  the  Joints  <:f  the  inoft  high,  and 
they  /Jimld  pojfefs  th-z  kingdom.  The  termina- 
tion of  this  power,  therefore,  is  the  commence- 
ment of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  prophecy ;  and  this  power  was  to  conti- 
nue for  a  period  denoted  by  the  phrafe  a  time, 
times,  and  the  dividing  of  time,  which  parallel  pai- 
fages  have  led  all  interpreters  to  fay  mufl  mean  three 
years  and  an  half;  and  each  day  denoting  a  year,  the 
proper  term  will  be  1260  years. 

This  little  horn  cannot  be  any  other  than  the 
papal  fower,  -which  arofe  from  three  different  four- 
ces,  viz.  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna,  the  kingdom 
of  Lotnbardy,  and  tlie  city  and  territory  of  Rome  ; 
and  as  it^exiflcd  before  the  three  horns  were  pluck- 
ed 


To   the   Jezvs.  401 

td  up  by  the  roots,  it  is  not  eafy  to  fix  the  exaft 
time  of  its  commencement ;  but  on  any  probable 
computation  its  termination  is  at  hand  ;  and  with 
it  that  of  all  the  other  horns.  For  the  beaft  it- 
felf  is  to  beJZain,  its  body  deftroyed,  and  given  to 
the  burning  flame. 

On  this  event  one  like  the  fon  of  'man,  is  brought 
to  the  ancient  of  days,  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and 
there  is  given  to  him  dominion,  and  glory  ;  Jo  that 
all  nations,  people,  and  languages,  Jhall  ferve  him. 
His  dominion  will  be  an  everlajling  dominion,  which 
Jhall  not  pafs  away,  and  his  kingdom  that  which  Jhall 
not  be  dejlroytd,  21,  14.  In  the  interpretation  it 
is  faid  that  this  kingdom  will  be  given  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Jaints  oj  the  mojl  high,  2,  27,  fo  that  it 
will  not  be  a  proper  abfolute  monarchy,  like  thofe 
which  had  preceded  it. 

This  kingdom  of  faints  is,  no  doubt,  the  fame 
that  in  the  preceding  prophecy  is  called  the  king- 
dom of  the  God  of  heaven,  and  this  fon  of  man, 
muft  be  your  Meffiah.  And  his  reign  is  to  com- 
mence on  the  fall  of  the  papal  power,  accompani- 
ed, as  it  will  be,  with  that  of  all  the  powers  re- 
prefented  by  the  other  horns  of  the  fame  beaft,  or 
the  monarchies  of  Europe. 

In  the  third  year  of  Bellhazzar,  Daniel  had  a- 
nother  vifion,  in  fome  refpe&s  of  more  difficult 
interpretation  than  the  preceding  ;  but  clearly 
A  a  a  defciibing 


402  An    Addrefs 

defcribing  a  power  by  which  the  daily  facrificc  was 
to  be  taken  away,  and  the  place  of  the  fanttuary  caji 
down ;  and  as  this  was  never  accomplished  but  in 
the  deftruftion  of  Jerufalem  and   the  temple  by 
Titus,  we  muft  conclude  the  Roman  empire  to  be 
the  power  intended  in  the  prophecy.     This  cala- 
mity was  to  terminate  in  two  thoufand  and  three  hun- 
dred days,  Dan.  viii,  4.  that  is  years,  after  a  date  not 
mentioned,    but  probably  that  of  the  vifion.   That 
this  mode  of  computation  is  not  improbable,  may 
appear  from  the  confideration  of  what  God  faid  to 
Abraham,    Gen.   xv,    13.      Thy  feed  frail   be  a 
Jlranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  andjhall  ferve 
them  ;  and  they  Jhall  afflift  them  Jour  hundred  years. 
Now  your  anceftors   were  not    in    Egypt  much 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ;  but   their  fervitude 
expired   four    hundred  years  after  the   prediction 
concerning  it.     The  number  of  years  abovemen- 
tioned,  viz.  two  thoufand  and  three  hnndred,  reckoned 
from  the  time  of  the  vi(ion,  expired  about  the  year 
1760;    and  as  only  centuries  are  mentioned  in  the 
prophecy,  we  may   expect  the  termination  of  this 
period  of  your  calamity  in  lefs  than  half  a  century 
from  this  time. 

In  the  next  vifion  which  Daniel  had,  in  confc- 
quence  of  his  anxiety  about  the  termination  of  the 
jeventy  years  which,   according  to   the  prediaion 
fcf  Jeremiah,  the  Babylonifh  captivity  was  to  con- 
tinue, 


To  the  Jews.  403 

tinue,  the  mod  exprcfs  mention  is  made  of  your  fu- 
ture happy  ftate  which  had  been  the  fubjeft  of  fo 
many  of  the  former  prophecies  ;  but  nothing  is  faid 
that  can  enable  us  to  fix  the  time  of  its  commence- 
ment. To  fatisiy  Daniel  in  fome  meafure,  he  is 
informed  of  the  return  of  his  countrymen  from  that 
captivity,  and  of  the  rebuilding  of  Jerufalem.  But 
he  is  at  the  fame  time  informed  that  this  ftate  of 
peace  and  fafety  would  not  be  perpetual ;  for  that 
both  the  city  and  the  fanftuary  would  be  again  de- 
ftroyed,  as  with  a  flood;  Dan.  ix,  26,  and  that  a 
much  larger  period  than  that  of  < eventy  years,  even 
feventy  times  f evenly  (meaning  not  that  exacl:  num- 
ber of  years,  for  the  expreffion  is  evidently  indeter- 
minate, and  hyperbolical)  would  be  neceffary  to 
the  complete  purification  of  the  people,  and  the 
accomplifhment  of  the  great  prophecies  in  their 
favour,  viz.  to  finifJi  tranjgrejjion,  to  make  an  tnd 
of  Jin,  or  the  punimment  of  their  fins,  to  mak>.  re- 
conciliation for  their  iniquity,  to  bring  in  ever  la/ling 
righteoufmfs,  to  feal  up  the  vi/ion,  and  prophecy  (or 
to  verify  and  fulfil  the  prophecies  concerning  their 
final  profperity)  and  to  anoint  the  mojl  holy,  or  to 
build  and  confecrate  the  future  temple,  as  defcribed 
in  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel.  This  defcription  does 
notcorrefpond  to  any  thing  that  has  yet  taken  place, 
and  cannot  agree  to  any  thing  fhort  of  the  final 
and  permanent  ftate  of  your  nation,.  The  literal 

rendering 


An   Addrefs 

rendering  of  what  is  commonly  called  feventy  weeks, 
is  feventy  times  f evenly  ;  and  nothing  but  the  great- 
nefs  of  the  number,  and  the  neceffity  that  all  inter- 
preters have  thought  there  was  of  limiting  it  to  the 
time  of  the  birth  or  death  of  Chrifl,  could  have  led 
them  to  render  it  otherwife.  Seventy  times  feven- 
ty, or  4900  years  will  certainly  carry  us  back  to 
a  time  fomething  prior  to  the  call  of  Abraham, 
which  comprehends  the  whole  of  the  hiflory  of 
your  nation.  But  all  this  time  has  been  but  as 
the  infancy  of  your  nation,  and  a  flate  of  difci- 
pline  to  prepare  you  for  your  glorious  deflina- 
tion.  * 

*  The  numbers  feven  and/evenly  are  frequently  ufed 
in  the  language  of  fcripture  for  any  number  indefinitely 
great,  and  therefore  exa&nefs  is  not  neceflary  in  the  in- 
terpretation of  them  when  they  occur  in  prophecy. 
Thus  we  read  Gen.  Hi,  16,  that  vengeance  would  be 
taken  on  the  perfon  who  fliould  kill  C^m  feven  fold,  and 
Lameeh  fays,  T.  24,  that  if  the  death  of  Cain  would  be 
revenged  feven  fold  his  would  be  ftventy  and  ftven  fold. 
In  Ifaiah,  Ch.  xxx,  26,  it  is  faid,  that  the  light  of  the  fun 
jhall  be  feven  jold9  as  the  light  of  (even  days,  in  ihe  day  that 
the  Lord  bindeth  up  the  breach  tf  his  peoplt.  Thus  when 
Pf  ter  afked  Jcfus  whether  he  fliould  forgive  an  offending 
and  repenting  brother  feven  times^  he  replied,  Mat.  xviii, 
22,  /  fay  not  unto  thee  until  feven  times ,  but  until  [event j 
times  feven.  So  here,  feventy  times  fevettty  feems  to  be 
ufed  to  denote  a  vsry  great,  but  indefinite  aumber  of 
yms.  In 


To  the  Jews.  405 

In  the  laft  of  the  vifions  of  Daniel,   which  was 
in  the  third  year  of  Cyrus,  exprefs  mention  is  made 
of  the  deliverance  of  your  nation,  and  of  the  refur- 
rc6lion  of  the  dead,  as  coincident  with  it,   Ch.  xii, 
1.     At  that  time  Jhall  Michael  /land  up,   the  great 
prince  which  Jlandeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people, 
and  there  Jhall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never  was 
Jlnce  there  was  a  nation,  even  to  that  fame  time  ;  and 
at  that  time  thy  people  Jhall  be  delivered,   every  one 
ihat  fhall  be  found  written  in  the  book.     And  many  of 
them  thatjleep  in  the  dujl  of  the  earth  fhall  awake, 
fome  to  evcrlafting  life,  andfome  to  JJiame  and  ever- 
la  fling  contempt.     And  they  that  be  wife  Jhall  Jhint  as 
the  brightnefs  of  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn 
many  to  rightecufncfs  as  the  Jlars  for  ever  and  ever. 
Butthou  0  Daniel,  Jhut  up  the  words,  and  feal  the 
book  even  to  the  time  of  the  end.     Many  fkall  run  to 
and  fro,  and  knowledge  Jhall  be  increafed.     This  in- 
creafe  of  knowledge  feems  to  be  mentioned  in  this 
place  as  another  mark   of  the  fame  eventful  pe- 
riod. 

This  prediction  of  the  deliverance  of  your  nati- 
on is  here  reprefented  as  following  the  overthrow 
of  a  nation  that  had  made  the  conqueft  of  the  glori- 
BUS  land,  which,  no  doubt,  is  Palefline,  and  alfo 
of  Egypt,  tho'  not  of  that  of  Edomites,  Moabites, 
or  Ammonites,  who  are  now  among  the  Arabs. 
And  this  correfponds  fo  exactly  to  the  Turks, 

that 


406  An  Addrefs 

that  we  cannot  fuppofe  any  other  power  to  be  in- 
tended. Your  refloration,  therefore,  will  follow 
the  overthrow  of  their  empire.  Dan.  xi,  40.  The 
king  of  the  North  JJiall  come  againjl  him  like  a  whirl- 
wind, with  chariots,  and  with  horfemen,  and  with 
Mianyjhips ;  and  hejhall  enter  into  the  countries,  and 
Jliall  overflow,  and  fafs  over.  He  /hall  enter  alfo  in- 
to the  glorious  land,  and  many  countries  Jhall  be  over- 
thrown. But  thefe  Jhall  cfcape  cut  of  his  hand,  even 
Edom,  and  Moab,  and  the  chief  of  the  children  of 
Ammon.  He  Jliall  Jlr etch  forth  his  hand  alfo  upon 
the  countries,  and  the  land  of  Egypt  Jhall  not  efcapc. 
But  hejhall  have  power  over  thetreajures  of  gold  and 
Jilver,  and  over  all  the  precious  things  of  Egypt  ;  and 
the  Lybians  and  Ethiopians  Jhall  be  at  his  fiefs.  But 
tidings  out  of  the  Eajl  and  out  of  the  North  Jhall 
trouble  him  ;  therefore  he  Jhall  go  forth  with  great 
fury,  to  dejlroy  and  utterly  to  make  away  many.  And 
hejhall  plant  the  tabernacles  of  his  palace  between 
the  feas,  in  the  glorious  holy  meuntain.  Yet  he  Jliall 
come  to  his  end,  and  none  Jhall  hdp  him. 

If  I  were  to  bring  before  you  the  Chriflian  pro- 
phecies in  the   book  of  Revelation,  I  could  point 
out  to  you  more,  and  more  definite   notes  of  the 
time,  in  ...ykich  you  are  fo  much  interefled ;   but  I 
forbear  to  do  this  ir^ldreffing  Jews.     In  the  pre- 
ceding pfoph  p  authority  of  which  you  ac- 
~re  iufHcient  indications  of  the 
*#*  near 


To  the  Jews.  407 

near  approach  to  the  termination  of  your  prefent 
difperfion,  and  of  your  reftoration  to  your  own  coun- 
try, the  confequent  undiflurbed  and  perpetual  pof- 
feffionof  it,  and  a  (late  of  unexampled  profperity 
and  high  diftinftion  in  it,  the  greatefl  and  moil  ref- 
pected  of  nations. 

Putting  all  thefe  notices  together,  the  glorious 
time  you  have  been  fo  long  waiting  for  may  be  ex- 
pected foon  after  the  breaking  up  of  the  prefent 
European  monarchies,  the  extinction  of  the  papal 
power,  and  the  overthrow  of  the  Turkifh  empire, 
three  events  which,  according  to  the  prophecies 
above  recited,  mufl  be  nearly  coincident,  a  period 
you  fee  to  be  marked  by  the  fpirit  of  prophecy  as 
moft  calamitous,  a  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never  -was 
fence  there  was  a  nation,  arid  yet  a  time  cf  incrcaf- 
ing  knowledge. 

And,  furely,  if  this  circumflance  be  one  indica- 
tion of  the  approach  of  the  time  we  have  been  fo 
long  looking  for,  it  cannot  be  very  diflant.  For 
when,  in  the  whole  compafs  of  hiftory,  do  we 
read  of  fo  definitive  a  war,  as  that  in  which  the 
European  powers  have  been  engaged  the  laft  fix 
years  ?  More  pitched  battles  have  been  fought 
in  this  fhort  fpace  of  time  than  in  the  two  preced- 
ing centuries,  which,  however,  were  far  from  being 
peaceable ;  and  in  all  wars  death  by  the  fword  is  but  a 
fmall  part  of  the  diflrefs  and  calamity  occaiioned 

by 


408  An   Addrefs 

by  war.  And  yet,  judging  from  appearances, 
this  is  but  the  beginning  of  troubles.  There  may 
be  intervals  of  peace,  but  we  fee  no  profpeft  of  a 
general  and  lafting  pacification. 

As  to  the  monarchies  of  Europe,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  clear  fenfe  of  the  prophecies,  are  deflin- 
cd  to  deftruclion,  and  nearly  at  the  fame  time, 
what  confidence  can  the  mod  fanguine  friends  of 
any  of  them  have  in  their  permanance,  when  that 
of  France,  which  to  appearance  was  more  firmly 
eftablifhed  than  any  of  them,  has  fallen.  No  na- 
tion ever  (hewed  a  ftronger  attachment  to  their 
kings,  and  their  government  in  general,  than  the 
^French  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  monarchy 
till  the  moment  of  the  revolution. 

An  event  more  truly  remarkable,  and  as  we  may 
fay  more  ominous,  tho'  it  has  pafled  with  little  notice, 
becaufe  it  was  effected  without  fighting,  is  the  fall 
of  the  papal  power,  which  in  time  paft  made  all 
the  other  powers  of  Europe  to  tremble.  Yet  hav- 
ing declined  gradually,  it  has  fallen  at  laft,  to  adopt 
the  language  of  the  prophecy  concerning  it,  -without 
hand,  with  little  or  no  effort,  or  exertion  of  power, 
while,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  fpeak  as  a  Chriftian, 
and  quote  the  prophetical  book  of  Revelation, 
Ch.  xviii,  9,  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  com- 
mitted foynication  (for  this  power  is  there  compar- 
ed to  a  harlot)  and  lived  ddicioiifly  with  her,  be- 
wail 


To  the   Jews.  409 

wail  her,  and  lament  over  hcrtjlandin§  o/ar  off,  un- 
able to  give  her  any  afliftance. 

This  power  of  the  Pope,  as  a  temporal  prince, 
being  one  of  the  toes  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  image, 
and  one  of  the  horns  of  Daniel's  fourth  beaft,  the 
fall  of  it  will,  no  doubt,  be  followed  by  that  of 
the  other  powers  which  are  equally  with  it  toes  of 
the  iame  image,  and  horns  of  the  fame  beaft.  And 
tho'  they  are  not  actually  fallen,  and  may,  according 
to  particular  cir  cum  ft  a  rices,  have  intervals  of  peace, 
they  are  ihaken  to  their  very  centers  ;  fo  that  to  a 
caiin  obferver  their  fall  may  be  looked  for  daily. 
There  may  be  a  revival  of  the  papal  power,  and 
even  of  monarchy  in  France  ;  but,  confidering  the 
increaiing  prevalence  of  republican  fentiments, 
any  perfon  may  fafely  pronounce  that  it  cannot 
be  of  long  continuance.  There  are  in  all  of  them 
fo  many  internal  caufes  of  diflblution,  efpecially 
their  enormous  debts  and  taxes,  and  thofe  continu- 
ally accumulating,  that  even  peace  cannot  be  ex- 
pe&ed  to  fave  them,  any  more  than  it  did  France 
in  the  fame  circumftances.  And  indeed  their  go- 
vernors feem  to  be  more  apprehenfive  of  peace  than 
they  are  of  war. 

All  Proteftant  expofitors  of  the  prophecies  with- 
out exception,  coniider  the  prefent  monarchies  of 
Europe  as  reprefented  by  the  toes  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's image,  and  the  ten  horns  of  Daniel's 

B  b  b  fourth 


An   Addrefs 

fourth  beaft,  and  confequently  as  devoted  to  de- 
ftruclion.  Dr.  Hartley,  who  wrote  in  1747,  fays 
Ejjay  on  Man,  vol.  2,  p.  368.  "  How  near  the 
diifolution  of  the  prefent  governments  may  be, 
would  be  great  rafhnefs  to  affirm.  Chrifl  will 
come  in  this  fenfe  alfo  as  a  thief  in  the  night. — 
He  again  fays,  p.  455.  It  would  be  great  rafh- 
nefs  to  fix  a  time  for  the  breaking  of  the  ftorm  that 
hangs  over  our  heads,  as  it  is  blindnefs  and  infatu- 
ation not  to  fee  it,  not  to  be  aware  that  it  may 
break.  And  yet  this  infatuation  has  always  attend- 
ed all  falling  ftates." 

As  to  the  Turkifh  empire,  which  muft  fall  be- 
fore you  can  have  a  permanent  and  peaceable  fet- 
tlement  in  your  own  country,  it  has  been  fomc 
time  on  the  verge  of  deftrufclion,  and  may  be  faid 
to  fland  by  the  jealoufy  and  forbearance  of  the 
neighbouring  Chriftian  powers.  But  the  part  the 
Turks  have  taken  in  the  prefent  war  may  accelerate 
this  moil  deferable  event.  I  call  it  moft  dejirallc> 
and  it  is  on  more  accounts  than  one.  The  caufc 
of  fcicnce,  of  general  liberty,  and  of  civilization, 
as  well  as  that  of  religion,  call  for  it.  The  fineil 
part  of  the  furface  of  the  earth,  the  bed  foil,  and  the 
nioft  delightful  climate,  almoft  the  cradle,  as  it  is 
fometimes  called,  of  the  human  race,  the  fir  ft  peo- 
pled and  civilized,  is  keld  by  them  in  a  ftate  of 
fcrvitude,  barbarity,  and  great  depopulation.  Pa- 

leftine, 


To  the  Jews.  411 

leftine,  the  glory  of  all  lands,  which  is  now  part  of 
the  Turkifh  empire,  is  almoft  without  inhabitants. 
It  is  wholly  uncultivated,  keeping  its  fabbaths,  emp- 
ty, and  ready  to  receive  you.  But  till  this  power, 
which  without  deriving  any  advantage  from  it, 
keeps  pofleflion  of  that  country,  it  is  impoflible  that 
it  can  be  yours.  I  therefore  earneftly  pray  for  its 
dillblution. 

If  the  increafe  of  knowledge  of  any  kind  be  a 
mark  of  the  approach  of  the  happy  events  above- 
mentioned,  it  cannot  be  denied  but  we  may  be 
looking  for  them.  For  certainly  a  greater  advance 
has  been  made  in  every  branch  of  ufeful  knowledge 
in  the  laft  half  century,  than  in  almoft  all  preced- 
ing time. 

3.  In  the  prefent  diflurbed  ftate  of  things,  tho' 
deeply  interefted  in  the  events,  you  will,  I  doubt 
not,  fee  the  wifdom  of  following  the  direction  of 
the  Divine  Being  by  the  prophet  Ifaiah,  refpecling 
this  very  time,  Ch.  xxvi,  20.  After  fpcaking  cf 
your  recovery  from  your  prefent  low  and  deprefled 
condition,  faying  Awake  and  fing.  ye  that  dwell  in 
the  duft.  for  thy  dew  is  as  the  dew  of  herbs,  and  the 
earth  Jhall  caji  out  the  dead  ;  denoting  cither  an  ac- 
tual refurre&ion  of  your  anceftors,  or  the  revival  of 
the  nation,  as  from-a  ftate  of  death,  it  is  immedi- 
ately added,  Come  my  people  enter  into  thy  chamler, 
andjhut  thy  doors  about  the*.  Hide  thyfdfas  it  were 

for 


412  An   Addrefs 

for  a  little  moment,  until  the  indignation  be  overpafl. 
For  behold  the  Lord  cometh  cut  of  his  place  to  pumjh 
the  inhabitants  oj  the  earth  for  their  iniquity.  The 
earth  alfojhall  difclofe  her  blood,  and  Jliall  no  more 
cover  herflain. 

Doubt  not  but  your  deliverance  will  be  effected 
without  your  contrivance.  God  will  open  a  way 
for  you  in  the  courfe  of  his  providence,  tho*  i.ot 
perhaps  in  fo  miraculous  a  manner  as  in  your  d  - 
verance  from  Egypt.  The  hiftory  of  your  former 
attempts  to  recover  the  pofleffion  of  your  country 
by  force  of  arms  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  a  fumcient 
admonition  to  you  on  this  occation.  I  cannot, 
however,  conceal  my  apprehenfions  for  you  on 
this  head ;  as  the  prophecies  contain  intimations  of 
fome  very  confiderable  fuffering  previous  to  your 
reftoration,  limilar  to  that  of  your  anceflors  in 
the  interval  between  their  leaving  Egypt,  and  their 
fettlement  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  in  confequence 
of  their  impatience  and  refractory  defpofition.  At- 
tend particularly  to  the  following  paffagc  in  the 
prophecy  of  Ezekiel,  Ch.  xx,  33,  &c.  As  I  live 
faith  the  Lord  God,  furely  with  a  high  hand,  and 
•with  an  outjlr etched  arm t  and  with  fury  poured  out, 
will  I  rule  over  you.  And  I  will  bring  you  out  from 
the  people,  and  will  gather  ycu  eut  of  the  countries, 
wherein  ye  are  fcattered  with  a  mighty  hand  and  with 
a  ftr  etched  tut  arm.  and  with  fury  poured  out,  and  I 

will 


To  the  Jews.  413 

'will  bring  you  into  the  wildtmcfi  of  the  people,  and 
there  will  I  plead  with  you  face  to  face.  Like  as  I 
pleaded  with  your  fathers  in  the  wildernefs  of  the  land 
of  Egypt,  fo  will  I  plead  with  you,  faith  the  Lcrd 
God.  And  I  will  caufe  you  to  pafs  under  the  rod, 
and  I  will  bring  you  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant. 
And  I  will  purge  out  from  among  you  the  rebels, 
and  them  that  tranfgrefs  agdinjl  me,  and  I  will  bring 
them  forth  out  of  the  country  where  they  foj  our  n,  and 
they  Jliall  not  enter  into  the  land  of  Ifrael,  and  yc 
fhall  know  thai  I  am  the  Lord.  That  you  will  fuf- 
fer  much  after  your  arrival  in  Palefline,  and  be- 
fore your  peaceable  fettlement  in  it,  you  are  fuffi- 
ciently  apprized  in  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah, 
Ch.xiv.  But  no  doubt,  thofe  of  you  who,  like 
Caleb  and  Jofhua,  exercife  faith  in  God,  and 
put  your  truft  in  him,  will  be  preferred  in  every 
trial. 

4.  As  there  are  many  exprefs  and  clear  predidi- 
ons  of  great  calamities  that  will  befall  all  the  na- 
tions that  have  oppreffed  you,  you  may  be  tempt- 
ed to  revenge  yourfelves  on  your  enemies,  or  at  leaft 
to  rejoice  in  their  misfortunes.  But  vengeance 
mould  be  left  to  God,  who  is  the  only  proper 
judge  in  the  cafe.  They  are  not  the  Chriflians  of 
the  prefent  age  of  whom  you  have  much  reafon  to 
complain.  Your  perfecutors  have  been  long  dead, 
and  all  (incere  and  intelligent  Chriflians,  notwith- 

flanding 


414  An  Addrtfs 

ftanding  all  that  their  anceflors,  whenever  you 
have  had  power,  have  fuffered  from  you,  bear  you 
the  greateft  good  will,  and  feel  the  moft  fmcere 
compaflion  for  you.  The  Supreme  Being,  the 
God  of  all  the  earth,  punimes  nations  in  their  dif- 
tant  pofterity  ;  and,  as  in  the  cafe  of  the  Amorites, 
Gen.  xv,  16,  often  waits  till  their  iniquity  be  full; 
in  confequence  of  which  many  guilty  individuals 
efcape  punifhment,  and  many  innocent  perfons 
fuffer  in  this  world.  But  as  his  ways  arc  not  as 
our  ways,  we  fhould  not  endeavour  to  imitate  him 
in  this,  and  aft  by  the  fame  rule.  Our  faculties 
are  not  equal  to  fo  enlarged  and  comprehenfive  a 
plan  of  conduct,  nor  have  we,  like  him,  power  to 
reclify  the  inequalities  we  make  in  this  ft  ate  by 
difpenfations  in  any  other.  Cherifli,  therefore,  a 
benevolent  and  forgiving  fpirit,  as  what  is  rnoft 
pleating  to  God,  and  will  therefore  be  moft  advan- 
tageous to  yourfelves  in  the  end. 

5.  As  a  motive  to  this  general  benevolence  to- 
wards other  nations,  the  reverfe  of  the  fpirit  with 
which  you  and  other  nations  have  hitherto  regard- 
ed each  other,  attend  to  the  many  intimations  that 
are  given  in  your  prophecies,  that  in  future  time 
there  will  be  perfect  harmony  between  you  and  the 
nations  that  were  formerly  the  moft  hoftile  to  you, 
even  the  Egyptians  and  Affyrians.  If.  xix,  19. 
In  that  day  there  Jhall  It  an  altar  to  tht  Lord  in 

tkt 


To  the  Jews. 

the  midft  of  the  land  of  Egypt,   and  a  pillar  at  ike 
border  thereof  to    the  Lord.     And  it  flail  be  for  a 

Jign  and  a  witnefs  unto  the  Lord  of  Hojls  in  the  land 
of  Egypt.  For  they  /hall  cry  unto  the  Lord  becaufe 
of  the  oppreffors,  and  he  Jli  all  fend  them  a  faviour 
and  a  great  one,  and  he  /hall  deliver  them.  And  the 
Lord  flail  be  known  to  Egypt,  and  the  Egyptians 

fhall  know  the  Lord  in  that  day.  andjliall  do  facri- 

Jice  and  oblation,  yea  they  flail  vow  a  vow  unto  the 
Loid  and  perform  it.  And  the  Lord  fli all  f mitt 
Egypt.  He  Jliall  finite  and  heal  it,  and  they  flail 
return  even  to  the  Lord,  and  he  fhall  be  intreated  of 
them,  andjliall  heal  them.  In  that  day  there  flail  be 
A  highway  out  of  Egypt  to  AJJyria,  and  the  AJfyrians 

fhall  come  into  Egypt,  and  the  Egyptians  into  AJJyria, 
and  the  Egyptians  Jliall  ferve  with  the  Affyrians.  In 
that  day  fliall  Ifi  atl  Ic  the  third  with  Egypt  end  with 
AjJ'yria,  even  a  bhf/ing  in  the  midjl  of  the  land, 
-whom  the  Lord  of  Ilojls  flail  blefs  faying,  BkJJed 
be  Egypt  my  people,  and  Affyria  the,  work  oj  my  hands, 
and  Ifrael  mine  inheritance. 

You  lee  that  even  the  Egyptians  are,  in  fomc 
fenfe  or  other,  called  the  people  of  God,  and  there- 
fore muftbe  intitled  to  your  refpeft  and  afFedion,  as 
brethren.  Exprefs  mention  is  made  in  your  pro- 
phecies of  many  pcrfons  from  all  nations  joining 
you  on  your  reftoration,  and  even  becoming  incor- 
porated with  you,  as  on£  nation,  and  enjoying  all 

the 


4 1 6  An    Addrefi 

the  fame  prcvilegcs.  If.  xiv,  i.  Tht  Lord  will 
have  mercy  on  Jacob,  and  will  yet  chufe  Ifrael,  and 
fit  them  in  their  own  land,  and  Jlrangers  Jliall  b§ 
joined  with  them,  and  they  Jliall  cleavt  to  the  houfe 
of  Jacob.  Ez.  xlvii,  22.  Sojhall  ye  divide  this 
land  unto  you ,  according  to  the  tribes  of  Ifrael,  And 
it  Jhall  ccme  to  pafs  that  ye  Jliall  divide  it  by  lot  for 
an  inheritance  unto  you,  and  to  the  Jlrangers  that  Jo- 
journ  among  you,  -who  Jliall  beget  children  among 
you,  and  they  Jliall  be  unto  you  as  born  in  the  coun- 
try among  the  children  of  Ifrael.  They  Jliall  have 
inheritance  with  you  among  the  tribes  of  Ijracl.  And 
it  Jhall  come  to  fafs  that  in  what  tribe  the  ftr  anger 
Jbj.ourneth,  there  Jhall  ye  give  him  his  inheritance, 
faith  the  Lord  God. 

6.  As  a  fpirit  of  revenge  is  very  unbecoming 
the  peculiar  people  of  God,  a  fpirit  of  pride  and 
arrogance  is  no  lefs  fo.  And  remember  that  God 
is  the  univerfal  parent,  the  God  of  the  numerous 
Gentiles,  as  well  as  of  the  fingle  nation  of  Jews; 
and  that,  ftriftly  fpeaking,  there  is  no  refpeft  of 
perfons  with  him.  It  was  not  for  your  fakes  only, 
or  chiefly,  that  you  are  diflinguifhed  from  other 
nations  ;  but  becaufe  fuch  a  diftinclion  was  necef- 
fary  to  the  inftru&ion  and  moral  difcipline  of  the 
world.  You  ever  have  been,  and  ftill  are,  the  in- 
ftruftors  of  mankind  ;  but  the  inftitution  of  teach- 
ers, and  alfo  that  of  magi  ft  rates,  refpeQs  thofe  who 

are 


To  the  Jews.  417 

are  to  be  taught  and  governed  ;  and,  tho'  occupy- 
ing the  mofl  honourable  place  in  fociety,  they 
Hand  in  the  relation  offervants  to  that  great  body 
of  which  they  are  members,  and  to  whom  they  are 
fubfervient.  They  are  the  honourable  means  and 
inflruments,  in  the  great  plan  of  providence,  but 
not  the  objeff  and  end.  That  by  your  means  all 
mankind  are  to  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  and 
worfhip  of  the  true  God,  and  therefore  that  this 
was  the  proper  end  and  ufe  of  the  diflin6tion  to 
which  you  are  railed,  is  evident  from  the  general  cur- 
rent of  prophecy.  I  (hall  call  to  your  recollection 
a  few  paffages  to  that  purpofe. 

If.  ii.  2.      It  JJiall  come  to  pjfs    in    the  la/I  days, 
that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  houfe  ffiall  be  fflabli/h- 
ed  in  the  top  of  the   mountains,  and/hall  be  exalted 
above  the   hills,    and  all  nations  /hall  flow  unto  it. 
Arid  many  people  fliall  go  and  fay,    Come  ye  and  let 
us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  houfe  of 
the  God   cf  Jacob,  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways, 
and  we   will  walk  in  his  paths.     For    cut  of  Zicn 
fhall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from 
Jerufalem.     And  he  fhall  judge  among  the  nations, 
and   rebuke  many  people,    and  they  fhall  beat  their 
j words  into  plow  /hares,  and  their  f pears  into  prun- 
ing hooks.     Nation  fliall  not  lift  up  fword  againft 
nation,  neither  fliall  they  learn  war  any  more. 

C  c  c  If.  xlii.  5, 


4 1 8  An   Addrefs 

If.  xlii.  5.     Thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  hf  that  cre- 
ated the  heavens  and  fir  etched  them  out,  he  that  fpread 
firth  the  earth   and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it.   he 
that  f.ivcth  brectJi  unto  the  pe  pie  upon  it,  andfpiiit 
to  them  that  dwfll  therein  ;    I  the  Lord   have  called 
thce  in  righte<ufnefs.     I  'will  h<id  thine  hand,    and 
will  keep  tree,   and  give  thce  for  a  covenant  of  the 
a    light    of  the   Gentiles,   to    open    the 
blind  eyes,    to  bring  out  the  prifoners  from  the  pri- 
Jim,   and  them  that  fit  in  darknefs  cut  of  the  pnfon 
hc-ufc. 

If.  lii.  9.  $reak  forth  into  joy,  fing  together,  ye 
ivojle  places  of  J  emblem.  For  the  Lord  h&th  ccm- 

forted  his  people.  He  has  redeemed  jferufalem.  The 
Lord  hath  made  bare  his  holy  arm  in  the  fight  of  all 
the  nations,  and  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  jliall  fee  the 

falvation  of  our  God. 

If.  xlv.  22.  Look  unto  wr,  and  be  ye  j laved,  all 
the.  ends  of  the  earth :  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is 
none  elfe.  I  have  fworn  by  myfelf,  the  word  is  gene 
cut  of  my  mouth  in  righteoufnefs,  and  fliall  not  return, 
that  unto  me  every  knee  fliall  boia,  every  tongue  fh all 
fwear.  IT.  Is.  3.  The  Gtntiles  fhall  come  to  thy 
light,  and  kings  to  the  brightnefs  cf  thy  rifing. 
Ch.  Ixi.  n.  As  the  earth  b r ing eth  forth  her  bud, 
and  as  the  garden  caufeth  th:  things  that  are  f own  in 

it 


To  the  Jews.  419 

it  to  faring  forth,  fo  the  Lord  God  will  cauft 
righteoufnefs  and  praift  to  fpring  forth  before  all 
nations. 

If.  Ixvi.  18.  It  fliall  come  that  I  will  gather  all 
nations  and  tongues,  and  they  fliall  come  and  fee  my 
glory.  And  I  will  fit  a  fign  among  them,  and  I 
will  fend  thofe  that  efc?pe  of  them  unto  the  nations, 
•to  the  ifles  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  my  fame, 
neither  have  fe en  my  glory  ;  and  they  JJi all  declare 
my  glory  among  the  Gentiles.  And  they  fliall  bring 
all  your  brethren  fur  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  mtt 
of  all  nations  to  my  holy  mountain  Jernfalem,  faith 
the  Lord,  and  I  will  alfo  take  of  them  Jor  priefts  and 
for  Lcvites,Jaith  the  Lord. 

7.  As  you  are  a  nation  more  immediately  un- 
der the  eye  of  God,  to  whom  you  fland  in  a  near- 
er relation  than  any  other  people,  you  will,  I 
doubt  not,  fee  peculiar  reafon  for  looking  to  him 
in  earned  prayer  and  fupplication  in  the  prefent 
extraordinary  fituation  of  -things.  Bo'h  Mofes 
and  the  later  prophets  admonifh  you.  that  your 
reftoration  will  depend  upon  this,  and  on  your 
thorough  repentance  of  the  fins  which  h;,v* 
brought  the  juft  judgments  of  God  upon  you.  You 
cannot  doubt  the  happy  effecT;  of  fincere  humilia- 
tion and  contrition,  efpecially  as  God  has  faid, 

If.  xlv.  19, 


420  An    Addrefs 

If.  xlv.  19,  the  feed  of  Jacob  fh  all  not  fcek  to  me. 
in  vain.  There  are  many  paffages  in  the  writings 
of  your  prophets  that  recommend  earneft  and  gene- 
ral {application,  and  with  an  exprefs  view  to  the 
prefent  Hate  of  things.  I  mail  recite  a  few  of 
th-rn.  Lev.  xxvi.  40.  If  they  fliatt  conjefs  their 
iniquity,  and  the  iniquity  of  their  fathers  ;  then  will 
I  remember  my  covenant  with  Jacob,  and  alfo  my 
covenant  with  Ifaac,  and  alfo  my  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, and  I  will  remember  the  land — When  they  be 
in  the  land  of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  cajl  them 
away,  neither  will  I  abhor  them,  to  dcjlroy  them  ut- 
ter :y.  and  to  break  my  covenant  with  them.  I  am  the 
Lord  their  G'jd.  But  I  will  for  their  fakes  remem- 
ber the  covenant  nf  their  ancejlors,  whom  I  brought 
forth  out  of  the  land  Egypt  in  the  Jight  of  the  hea- 
then; that  I  might  be  their  God.  I  am  the  Lord. 

Deut.  xxx.  i.  "  And  it  mail  come  to  pafs 
"  when  all  thofe  things  are  come  upon  thee,  the 
"  bleffing  and  the  curfe  which  I  have  fet  before 
-"  thee,  and  thou  malt  call  them  to  mind  among  all 
"  the  nations  whither  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
•"  driven  thee,  and  malt  return  unto  the  Lord  thy 
"  God,  and  malt  obey  his  voice,  according  to  all 
"  that  I  command  thee  this  day,  thou  and  thy 
"  children,  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
f  foul  ;  that  then  the  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy 

"  captivity, 


To   the    Jews.  421 

cf  captivity,  and  have  compaffion  upon  thee,  and 
"  will  return,  and  gather  thee  from  all  the  nations 
"  whither  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  (battered  thee. 
"  If  any  of  thine  be  driven  out  unto  the  outmoft 
"  parts  of  heaven,  from  thence  will  the  Lord  thy 
"  God  gather  thee,  and  from  thence  will  he  fetch  thee. 
"  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee  into  the 
"  land  which  thy  fathers  polTtfled,  and  thou  fhalt 
"p..>i:efs  it;  and  he  will  do  th^e  good,  and  muhi- 
"  ply  thee  above  thy  fathers.  And  the  Lord  thy 
"  God  will  circumcife  thy  heart,  and  the  heart  of 
"  t»:y  f..jed.  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
"  heart,  ,?nd  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou  mayeft 
"  live.  And  the  Lurd  thy  God  will  put  all  thefe 
"  curfesupon  thine  enemies,  and  on  them  that  hated 
"  thee  and  perfecuted  thee.  And  thou  (halt  return 
"  and  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  and  do  all  his 
"  commandments,  which  I  command  thee  this  day." 

In  the  book  of  Ezekiel  there  is  a  paflage  more 
exprefsly  to  the  purpofe  than  even  this.  Ch.  xxxvi. 
24.  e:  I  will  take  you  from  among  the  heathen, 
''  and  gather  you  from  all  countries,  and  will  bring 
"  you  into  your  inwn  land.  Then  will  I  fprinkle 
"  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  mail  be  cLan. 
"  From  all  your  filthinefs,  and  from  all  your  idols, 
"  will  I  cleanfe  you.  A  new  heart  alfo  will  I  give 
e:  you,  and  a  new  fpirit  will  I  put  within  you ; 

"  and 


dn    Addrefs 

"  and  I  will  take  away  the  ftony  heart  out  of  your 
"  flefh,  and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  flefh.  And 
"  I  will  put  my  fpirit  within  you,  and  caufe  you 
"  to  walk  in  my  ftatutes,  and  ye  fhall  keep  my  judg- 
<:  ments  and  do  them.  And  ye  fhall  dwell  in  the 
"  land  which  I  gave  to  your  fathers,  and  ye  fhall 
"  be  my  people,  and  I  will  be  your  God — Thus 
"  faith  the  Lord  God,  in  the  day  that  1  fhall  have 
"  cleanfedyou  from  all  your  iniquities,  I  will  alfo 
"  caufe  you  to  dwell  in  the  cities,  and  the  walls  fhall 
"  be  builded,  and  the  defolate  land  fhall  be  tilled ; 
"  whereas  it  lay  defolate  in  the  fight  of  all  that 
"  paJfTed  by.  And  they  fhall  fay,  This  land  that 
"  was  defolate  is  become  like  the  garden  of  Eden, 
"  and  the  wafte  and  defolate  and  ruined  cities  are 
"  become  fenced,  and  inhabited.  Then  the  hea- 
"  then  that  are  left  round  about  you  fhall  know 
"  that  I  the  Lord  build  the  ruined  places,  and 
"  plant  that  which  was  defolate.  I  the  Lord  have 
"  fpoken  it,  and  I  will  do  it.  Thus  faith  the  Lord 
"  God,  I  will  yet  for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the 
fi  houfe  of  Ifrael,  to  do  it  for  them,  &c. 

Here  you  fee  what  is  incumbent  upon  you,  and 
expected  of  you,  before  your  refloration.  Hum- 
ble yourfelves,  then,  before  God  in  earnefl  prayer, 
and  have  times  fet  apart  for  the  purpofe.  Many 
pious  Chhftians  will  join  you. 

8.  That 


To   the  Jews.  423 

&.  That  your  complete  reformation  will  be  efFeft- 
ed,  at  lead  after  your  reftoration,  is  exprefsly  fore- 
told in  raany  prophecies,  fome  of  which  I  have  in- 
cidently  quoted  ;  but  the  moft  particular  account 
of  your  repentance  and  contrition  is  contained  in 
the  prophecy  of  Zechariah,  and  it  is  there  reprefent- 
cd  as  taking  place  after  ycrur  return,  when  your 
trihes  and  families  fhall  be  diflinguiihed  from  each 
other,  which  now  they  are  not. 

Zee.  xii.  6.  "  In  that  day  will  I  make  the 
"  governors  of  Judah  like  a  hearth  of  fire  among 
"  the  wood,  and  like  a  torch  of  fire  in  a  fheaf,  and 
"  they  fhall  devour  all  the  people  round  about,  on 
"  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  and  Jerufalem 
"  (hall  be  inhabited  again  in  her  own  place,  even  in 
"  Jerufalem.  In  that  day  fhall  the  Lord  defend 
"  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem  ;  and  he  that  is  fee- 
"  ble  among  them  at  that  day  fhall  be  as  David, 
"  and  the  houfe  of  David  mall  be  as  God,  as  the 
"  angel  of  the  Lord  before  them.  And  it  fliall- 
"  come  to  pafs  in  that  day  that  I  will  feek  to  de- 
"  flroy  all  the  nations  that  come  again  ft  Jerufa- 
"  lem.  And  I  will  pour  upon  the  houfe  of  Da- 
"  vid,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  the 
"  fpirit  of  grace,  and  of  fuppiications,  and  they 
"  fhall  look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced, 
<*  and  .they  fhall  mourn  for  him  as  one  mourneth 

"  for 


An  Addrefs 

"  for  his  only  fon,  and  fhall  be  in  bitternefs  for  him 
"  as  one  that  is  in  bitternefs  for  his  firft  born.  In 
"  that  day  fhall  there  a  great  mourning  in  Jerufa- 
;;  lem,  as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimnon,  in  the 
"  valley  of  Megiddon.  And  the  land  fhall  mourn, 
"  every  family  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  the 
"  family  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives  apart; 
"  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  Nathan  apart,  and 
<;  their  wives  apart ;  the  family  of  the  houfe  of 
'  Levi  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  the  family  of 
"  Shimei  apart,  and  their  wives  apart.  All  the 
"  families  that  remain,  every  family  apart,  and 
"  their  wives  apart.  In  that  day  there  fhall  be 
"  a  fountain  opened  to  the  houfe  of  David,  and 
11  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  for  fin  and  for 
"  uricleannefs,"  &c. 

We  Chriflians  have  no  doubt  but  that  this  re- 
fers to  your  being  convinced  of  the  fin  of  your  an- 
ceftors  in  the  death  of  Jefus,  the  greatefl  prophet 
that  God  ever  fent  to  your  nation.  The  language 
of  the  prophet  defcribes  the  very  manner  in  which 
he  was  put  to  death,  and  it  cannot  without  force 
be  interpreted  of  any  other  perfon.  The  reading 
that  I  follow,  viz.  him  for  me,  in  vio,  is  not  only 
agreeable  to  the  quotation  of  the  pafTage  in  the 
New  Teflament,  but  to  many  manufcripts.  So 
alfo  it  is  quoted  by  many  of  your  own  writers. 

Befides, 


To   the  Jews.  425 

Befides,  all  the  copies  have  him  in  the  next  and 
correfponding  claufe,  viz.  thcyJJiall  mourn  for  him, 
which  cannot,  in  common  conftruclion,  beany  other 
than  him  whom  they  had  pierced.  This  mourn- 
ing your  S.  Jarchi  fays,  the  rabbins  fuppofe  will 
be  for  the  MeJJidh  the  fan  of  Jofeph,  who  will  be 
put  to  death.  But  the  hypothefis  of  your  rabbins 
concerning  two  Me.JJlahs,  one  a  fuffering  and  the 
other  a  triumphant  one,  has  no  foundation  in  the 
fcriptures. 

From  this  remarkable  prophecy  I  cannot  help 
inferring  that  your  nation  in  general  will  not  be 
convinced  that  Jefus  was  a  true  prophet,  and  con- 
fequently  of  the  great  fin  of  your  anceftors  in  put- 
ting him  to  death,  till  after  your  return ;  and  that 
this  convidion  will  be  produced  by  his  perfonal 
appearance  to  you,  as  to  your  countryman  Paul, 
who  before  that  was  as  incredulous  on  the  fubjeft 
as  any  of  you  can  now  be.  I  am  willing,  how- 
ever, to  hope  that,  tho'  not  your  nation  in  gene- 
ral, yet  that  fome  candid  individuals  among  you, 
may  be  fatisficd  on  this  head  before  that  event. 

Permit  me,  who  am  a  Chriflian,  to  write  in 
that  character ;  and  as  no  offence  is  intended,  I  hope 
that  none  will  be  taken  by  any  of  you.  You,  as 
Jews,  will  think  all  our  arguments  in  fupport  of 
Chriliianity  to  have  no  weight,  but  the  propofal  of 

D  d  d  them 


426  An  Addrefs 

them  by  one  who  writes,  as  he  thinks,  from  the  pure4 
love  of  truth,  tho'  you  will  think  it  mere  prejudice, 
cannot  do  you  any  harm. 

o,.  I  formerly  took  the  liberty  to  addrefs  you 
on  this  fubjecl,  and  had  the  happincfs  to  find  you 
were  fatisfkd  that  I  wrote  from  the  purcft  motives, 
and  a  fincere  refpect  and  good  will  to  your  nation. 
Having  then  advanced  all  that  I  thought  neceilary 
for  the  purpofe,  I  ihall  not  repeat  it  here.  But  I 
cannot  help  obfcrving  that,  tho'  one  of  your  na- 
tion, a  perfon  whom  I  well  know  and  refpecl:,  re- 
plied to  me,  he  did  not  undertake  to  refute  my 
principal  argument,  viz.  that  from  hijlorical  evi- 
dence. He  did  not  pretend  to  point  out  any  clefecl: 
in  the  arguments  that  I  advanced  for  Jefus  having 
wrought  real  miracles,  for  his  having  died,  and 
having  rifen  from  the  dead.  And  if  the  gofpel 
hiflory  of  thofe  facts  be  true,  whatever  may  be  ob- 
jected to  Chriftianity  on  other  accounts,  the  divine 
million  of  Jefus  will  be  unqucfiionable.  God  would 
never  have  fuffered  any  perfon,  pretending  to  come 
from  him,  to  impofe  upon  your  nation,  and  the 
whole  world,  in  fo  egregious  a  manner,  as  Jefus 
muft  have  done  if  he  had  been  an  impoflor. 
Would  God  have  raifed  an  impoflor  to  life,  after 
a  public  execution  ?  And  yet,  in  my  difcourfe 
on  that  fubjec%  I  have  fkewn  that  this  one  fa6l  has 

the 


To    the    Jews.  427 

the  moft  convincing  evidence  that  any  foci:  of  the 
kind  could  poffibly  have. 

If  you  attentively  confidcr  the  character  of  Je- 
fus,  his  great  fimplicity,  his  piety,  his  benevolence, 
and  every  other  virtue,  you  muft  be  fatisfied  that 
he  was  incapable  of  impofture.  Compare  his 
character  and  conduct  with  that  of  Mahomet,  or 
any  other  known  impoftor,  and  this  argument,  of 
the  internal  kind,  mufl:  ftrike  you  in  a  forcible  man- 
ner. Befides,  how  was  it  poffible  for  fuch  a  religi- 
on as  the  Chriftian,  preached  by  perfons  in  low 
ftations,  without  the  advantage  of  learned  educa- 
tion, to  have  eftablifhed  itfeli  in  the  world,  oppofed 
as  it  was  by  every  obftacle  that  could  be  thrown  in 
its  way,  if  it  had  not  been  fupported  by  truth,  and 
the  God  of  tr.uth  ? 

The  unbelief  of  your  nation  in  general  has  an- 
fwered  an  important  purpofe  in  the  plan  of  divine 
providence ;  as  nothing  elfe  could  have  given  To 
much  fatisfacboi  that  Chriftianity  received  no  aid 
from  evil  government,  and  that  the  books  of  your 
fcriptures  are  genuine  writings,  not  impofed  up- 
on the  world  by  Chriftians.  But  this  great  end 
b..jino  now  completely  anfwered  by  the  continu- 
your  incredulity  for  fuch  a  length  of  time, 

hope  t-ie  tim-  is  approaching  when  as  the  apoftie 
f-'ys,  Rom.  xi,  26,  all  Ifrael  will  be  favcd,  an 

event 


428  An  Addrffs,    &c. 

event  which  will  be  followed  by  the  convsrfion  of 
the  Gentiles  in  general.  Your  reftoration  cannot 
fail  to  convince  the  world  of  the  truth  of  your  re- 
ligion ;  and  in  thofe  circumftances  your  converfion 
to  Chriftianity  cannot  fail  to  draw  after  it  that  of 
the  whole  world.  God  will,  no  doubt,  accomplifh 
both  thefe  defirable  events  in  the  mofl  proper  time; 
and  that  this  time,  the  commencement,  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  and  of  the  Meffiah,  may  foon  come, 
is  the  earneft  prayer  of  every  Chriflian. 

With  the  greaieft  refpecl:  and  affeftion 
I  fubfcribe  my felf  your  brother  in  the  fole 
worfhip  of  the  God  of  your  Fathers, 

J.     PRIESTLEY. 

NORTHUMBERLAND,  Ottober  i,  1799. 


CATALOGUE  OF  BOOKS, 

WRITTEN     BY 

Dr.    PRIESTLEY. 


i.  HP  H  E  Hiftory  and  prefent  State  of  Eltclri- 
Ji     city,   with  original  Experiments,  illuflrat- 
ed  with  Copper- Plates,  5th  Edition,  corre&ed,  il. 
is.  in  boards. 

N.  B.  A  continuation  of  this  work,  with  origi- 
nal Experiments  by  Mr.  Nicbolfon,  in  i  vol.  410. 
is  in  the  Preis. — The  Continuation  will  be  Ibid 
alone,  il.  is.  in  boards. 

2.  A  Familar  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Elec- 
tricity, 51  h  Edition,  8vo.  2S.  6d.  iewed. 

3.  T lie  Hiftory  and  prefcnt  State  of  Difcoveries 
rela*!ng  to  Vijion,    Light,  and  Colours,  2  vols.  410. 
muftrated  with  a  great  number  of  Copper- Plates, 
il.   us.  6d.  inbds.  il.  18.  bd. 

4.  Experiments    and   Observations   on  different 
Kin^s  ot  Air  and   other  Branches  of  Natural  Phi- 
lofophy,    connected  with     the   Subjedt,    3  vols.  in 
boards,  being    the  former  Six   Volumes  abridged 
and  mcthodi (H,  with  many  Additions,  il.  is. 

5.  Experiments  relating  to  the  Decomposition  of 
Dephlogiflicated  and    Inflammable  Air;    and   on 
tht  Generation  of  Air  from  Water,  is. 

6.  Heads  of  a  Courfe  of  Le&ures   on  Experi- 
mental Philofophy,  including  Chemiflry,  35.    6J. 
in  boards. 


Books  written,  by  Dr.  Priejlley. 

7.  A  Familiar  Introduction  to  the  Theory  and 
Pra&icedfPfr/J'f&w,  with  Copper-  Plates,  2  Edit. 
5$.  boards,  6s.  bd. 

8.  A  New  Chart  of  Hijlory,  containing  a  View 
of  the  principal  Revolutions  of  Empire  that  have 
taken  place  in  the  World  ;  with  a  Book  describing 
it,  containing  an  Epitome  ofuniverfal  Hiftory,  4th 
Edition,  ios.  6d. 

9.  A  Chart  of  Biography,  with  a  Book  contain- 
ing an  Explanation  of  it,  and  a  Catalogue  of  all  the 
names  inferted  in  it,   6th  Edition,   very  much  im- 
proved, ios.  6d. 

N.  B.  Thefe  Charts  mounted  on  Canvas  and  Rol- 
lers, to  be  hung  up  in  a  Study,  &c.  are  145.  each. 

10.  The  Rudiments  of  Englijh  Grammar,  adapt- 
ed to  the  ufe  of    Schools,   anew   Edition,    is.  6d. 
bound. 

11.  The  fame  Grammar,  with  Notes  and    Ob- 
fervations,   for   the    ufe  ot    thofc  who   have    made 
iomc  Profir;-  icy  in  the  Langu  ige.    4^h  Edition. 

1-2.  Lectures  on  Hijlory  and  General  Policy  ;  to 
which  is  prefixed,  an  Effay  on  a  Courfc  of  Liberal 
EC:  ication.  for  Civil  and  Active  Life,  4to.  il.  is. 
in  boards,  or  in  2  vols.  8vo.  12S.  in  boards,  or  145. 


13-    Obfcrvatiofts    relating    to   Education:  more 

cfp*<.ia'  \  -1^  thr  I  to  which  is  add- 

c  L  fay  ou  u  C»)'-rif  of  Liber.il  Education 

!•'  Civ  <ui  i  Active  Life,  zd  Edition,  38.  6d.  in 
bf-  «"ds. 

i  |.  A  Cwffcti  Ijclures  on  Oratory  and  Criti- 
cij'm*  ^'.-  IOS(  6d.  in  boards,  145.  bound. 

i  \  >  Ei'-r.  on  the  hi  ft  Principles  of  Govern- 
n  .;nd  on  the  Nature  of  Political,  Civil,  and 

R  -ious  Liberty,  2d  Edition,  much  enlarged.  45. 
;n  Doards,  55.  bound,  7?z  this  Edition  are  introduc- 


Books    written  by  Dr.  Priejlley. 

ed  the  Remarks  on  Church  Authority,   in   anfwer 
to  Dr.  Balguy,  formerly  publifliedfeparatcly. 

16.  Letters  to  the  Rt.  Hon.   Mr.  Burke  on  his 
Ri ILcuons  on  the  Revolution  in  France,  8vo.  3d. 
Edition,  2.  6d.  fewed. 

17.  Familar  Letters,   addrcifed  to  the   Inhabi- 
tants ot  the  Town  of  Birmingham,  in  refutation  of 
feveral    Charges    advanced  againft  the   DifTenters, 
and  Unitarians,   by  the    Rev.   Mr.   Madan. — Alfo 
Letters  to  the  Rev.    Edward  Burn,  in  Anfwer  to 
his  on  the  Infallibility  of  the  Apoflolic  Teftimony 
concerning  the  Peribn  of  Chrift.     And  Confidera- 
tions  on  the  differences  of  Opinion  among   Chrif- 
tians,  in  Anfwer  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Venn,    2d  Editi- 
on, 5$.  fewed.  6s.  bound. 

18.  An  Examination  of  Dr.  Reid's  Inquiry  in- 
to the  Human  Mind,  on  the  Principles  of  Common 
Senfe,  Dr.  Beattits    Effay  on  the  Nature  and  Im- 
mutability of  Truth,  and  Dr.  Ofwald's  Appeal    to 
Common  Senlc,  in  Bthalf  of  Religion,  2d  Edition, 
53.  in  boards.  6s.  bound. 

19.  Hartley's  Theory  of  the  Human  Mind,  on  the 
Principle  ol  the  Allociation  of  Ideas,  with   EiTays 
relating  to  the  Subject  of  it,  8vo.  6s.  in  boards,  ^s. 
bound. 

20.  Bifquijltions  relating  to  Matter  and  Spirit. 
To  which  is  added  the  Hiflory  of  the  Philolophi- 
cal   Doftrine   concerning  the  Origin  of  the   Soul, 
and  the   Nature  of  Matter ;   with  its   influence  on 
Chriftianity,  efpecially  with  refpecl  to  the  Doctrine 
of  the  Pre-exiftence  of  Chrift.     Alfo  the  Dodnne 
of  Philofophical  Neceffity  illuflrated,    2d  Edition, 
enlarged  and   improved  :    with  remarks  on  thofe 
who  have  controverted   the    Principles  of  them,  2 
vols.  8s.  in  boards,  ips.  6d.  bound. 

21.  A  Free  Difcujfion  of  the  JDoftrinfs  of  Mater i- 


Books  writ  fen  by  Dr.  Prieflley. 

difm  and  Philofophical  Necefjity,  in  a  Correfpon- 
dence  between  Dr.  Price  and  Dr.  Prieflley  ;  to 
which  are  added,  by  Dr.  Prieflley ,  an  Introduction, 
explaining  the  Nature  of  the  Controverfy,  and  let- 
ters to  levcrai  Writers  who  have  animadverted 
on  his  Diiqmfitions  relating  to  Matter  and  Spirit, 
or  his  Treatifc  on  Neceffity,  8vo.  6s.  in  boards,  75. 
bound.' 

22.  A  Philosophical  Enquiry  concerning  Human 
Liberty,  by  W.  Collins,  Elq.  with  a  Preface  by  Dr. 
Pricfliey,  2s.  6d. 

The  three  preceding  Articles  may  be  properly  bound 
up  -with  the  fccond  Volume  of  Dii'quifitions  on  Mat- 
ter and  Spirit. 

23.  Letters    to  a  Philofophical  Unbeliever,  con- 
taining an  Examination  of  the  principal   Objcfti- 
ons  to  the  Doctrines  of  Natural  Religion,  and  efpe- 
cially  thofe  contained  in  the  writings  of  Mr.  Hume. 
Alfo  a  State  of  the  Evidence  of  Revealed  Religion, 
with   Animadvcrfions  on  the  two  lad  Chapters  of 
the  firft  Volume  of  Mr-  Gibbons  HIJlory  of  the  De- 
dine  and  fall  of  the  Roman  Empire  ;   and  an  Anfwer 
to  the  Letters  of  Mr.  William  Hammon,  2  vols.  8vo. 
75.   icwed,  or  bound  in  one  volume,  8s. 

24.  Letters  to  the  Philnfiphers  and  Politicians  of 
Fiance,  on  the  SubjeB  of  Religion,  is.    A  fccond  fet 
of  thefe  Letters  has   been    Publifhed  in   America. 
Together  with  an  Anfwer  to  Paine's  Age  of  Rea- 

fun.  25  cents. 

25.  A  Harmony  of  the  Evangelifts  in  Greek  ;    to 
which  are   prefixed,    Critical  DiJJertations  in  Eng- 
3i(h,  410.  143.  in  boards,  175.  bound. 

26.  A  Harmony  of  the  Evangdifts  in   Englijk, 
with  Notes,    and  an  occaiional  Paraplirafe  for  the 
tife   of  the  Unlearned.      To   which    are  prefixed, 
Critical  Diffcrtations,  and  a  Letter  to   the  Bifhop 
of  Offory,  410.  12S.  in  boards,  155.  bound. 


Books  written  by  Dr.  Priejlhy. 


N.  B.  Thofe  -who  are  pojfc/cd  of  the  Greek 
Harmony,  may  have  this  in  Englifh,  without  the 
Critical  Differtatioris,  8s.  in  boards. 

The  Greek  and  Englifh  Harmony  with  the  Cri- 
tical Differtations,  complete,  il.  is.  in  boards,  or 
il.  45.  bound. 

27.  Infliiutes  of  Natural  and  Rcwaled  Religi- 
on, in  i  vols.  8vo.  2d  Edition.  IQS.  6d.  in  boards, 
12S.  bound. 

28.  An  Phflory    of  the  Corruptions  of  Chrijli- 
anity,  with  a  general    Conclufion,    in   two  Parts. 
Part   I.    containing    Confiderations    addrefTed  to 
Unbelievers,   and  efpecially  to  Mr.  Gibbon.     Part 
II.    containing    Confiderations    addreffed   to   the 
Advocates  for  the  prefent  Eflablifhment,  and  efpe- 
cially to  Bifhop  Hurd,  2  vols.  8vo.  12s.  in  boards, 
or  145.  bound. 

29.  An  Hijlory  of  Early  Opinions  concerning 
Jefus  Chrijl,    compiled   from  Original    Writers  ; 
proving  that  the  Chriftian  Church  was  at  firfl  Uni- 
tarian,   4  vols.  8vo.  il.    45.  in  boards?  or  ils.  8s. 
bound. 

30.  A  General  Hijlory  of  the  Chriflian  Church, 
to  the  Fall  of  the  Weftern  Empire,  in  2  vols.  8vo. 
145.  in  boards,  i6s.  bound, 

31.  A  Vjew  of  the  Principles  and  Conduct  of 
the    Protejlant    Dijffenters,  with    Refpe6i    to   the 
Civil  and  Ecclefiaftical  Conftitution   of  England, 
2d.  Edit.  is.  6d. 

32.  A  Free    Addrefs  to  Protejlant  Diffcnters, 
on  the  Subject  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  2d  Edit,  with 
Additions,  2s. 

33.  An  Addrefs  to  Prcte/lant  Diff  enters,  on  the 
Subject  of  giving  the  Lord's  Supper  to  Children, 
is. 

34.  A  Free  Addrefs  to  Protejlant  Dijfcntcrs.  on 
the  Subject  of  Church  Difcipline  ;    with  a  prelimi* 


Bocks  written  by  Dr.  Priejlley. 

nary  Difcourfe  concerning  the  Spirit  of  Chriftiani- 
ty,  and  the  Corruptions  of  it  by  falfe  Notions  of 
Religion,  2s.  6d.  fewed. 

35.  Three  Letters  to  Dr.  Newcome,  Bifhop  of 
Waterford,  on  the  Duration  of  our  Saviour's  Mi- 
niilry,  35.  6d.  fewed. 

36.  Letters  to  the  Jews  ;   inviting  them  to  an 
amicable  Difcuflion  of  the  Evidence  of  Chriftiani- 
ty,  in  two  parts,  2s. 

37.  Letters  to  the  Members   of  the  New  Jcru- 
falem  Church,  founded  by  Baron  Swedenborg,  is. 
6d. 

38.  Letters  to  a  Young    Man,    occafioned    by 
Mr.  Wakefield's  Eflayon  Public  Worfhip,  is.  6d. 

39.  Letters  to  a  Young  Man,  Part  II.  in  Re- 
ply 10  Mr.  Evanfon  on  the  Diifonance  of  the  Gof- 
pels:  2S.  6d. 

n  Hiftory,  of  the  Sufferings  of  Lewis  de 
MarolUs,  and  Mr.  Ifaac  It  Fevre,  upon  the  Revo- 
cation of  the  Edict  of  Nantz  :  with  a  Preface  by 
Dr.  Prieflley,  8vo.  35.  fewed. 

41.  Forms  of  Prayer,  and  other  Offices,  for  the 
Ufe  of  Unitarian  Societies,  8vO.  os.  fewed. 

42.  Dffcourfes  on  Various  Subjtfts,  viz.     On 
refigning  the  Paftoral  Office  at  Leeds — on  under- 
taking  the    Pailoral  Office  at  Birmingham — The 
proper  Conftitution  of  a  Chriftian  Church,   with  a 
Preface  on  the  prefent  State  of  thofe  who  are  called 
rational  Diifcnters — The   Importance  and  Extent 
of  Free  Enquiry — The  Do&rine  of  Divine  Influ- 
ence on  the  Human  Mind — Habitual  Devotion — > 
The  Duty  of  not  living  to  ourfelves — the  Danger 
of  bad  Habits — The  Duty  of  not  being  afhamed 
of  the  Gofpel — Glorying  in   the  Crofs  of  Chrifi 
• — Taking  the  Crofs  and  following  Chrift — The 
Evidence  of  Chrifliariity  from  the    Pcrfecutioa  of 
Chriflians,  8vo.  6s.  in  boards,  73.  bound. 


Books  written  by  Dr.  Priejlley. 

43.  Difiourfes  on  the  Evidences  of  Divine  Re- 
velation, 8vo.  6s   in  boards,   with  two  additional 
volumes  puhliihed  in  America. 

44.  A  Sermon  on  the  Slave  Trade,  preached  at 
Birmingham,  1788,  is. 

45.  Reflections  on  Death.     A   Sermon  on    the 
Death  of  the    Rev.    Robert  Robinfon,  of   Cam- 
bridge, is. 

46.  A  View  of  Revealed  Religion.   A  Sermon  on 
the  Ordination  of  the  Rev.  W.  Field,  of  Warwick, 
with  a  Charge  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Belfham,  is. 
6d. 

47.  The  proper  Objects  of  Education  in  the 
prefent  State  of  the  World,  reprefented  in  a   Dif- 
courfe  delivered   April  27,  1791,  to  the  Suppor- 
ters of  the  New  College  at  Hackney,  with  a  Pray- 
er, by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Belfliam,  is. 

48.  A  Difcourfe  on  occafion  of  the  Death  of  Dr. 
Price,  delivered  at  Hackney,   May  i,   with  a  fhort 

Sketch  of  his  Life    and   Charaaer,   and  a  Lilt  of 
his  Writings,    is. 

49.  A  a  Appeal  to  the  ferious  and  candid  Pro- 
fcffbrs  of  Chriftianity,  on  the  following  fubjec~ls, 
viz.   i.     The  Ufe  of  Reafon  in  Matters  of  Reli- 
gion.     2.     The  Power  of  Man  to  do  the  Will  of 
God.     3.  Original  Sin.     4.   Election  and  Repro- 
bation.    5.   The  Divinity  of  Chriil :    and  6.  A- 
tonemcnt  for  Sin  by  the  Death  of  Chrifl;  a  ne?/ 
Edition  :    to  which  is  added,  A  Conciic   Hiftory 
of  thofe  Doctrines  ;  and  An  Account  of  the  Trial 
of  Mr.  Elwall,  for  Herefy  and  Blafphemy,  at  Staf- 
ford Affixes,  3d. 

r,o.  A  Familiar  Illuftration  of  certain  PafFages 
of  Scripture,  relating  to  the  fame  Subjects,  2d 
Edit.  6d. 

51.  A.  General  View  of  the  Arguments  for  the 
Unity  of  God,  and  againfl  the  Divinity  and  Pre- 


Booh   written  by  Dr.  Priefiky. 

exiftence  of  Chrift,  from  Reafon,  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  from  Hiftcry,  2d  Edit.  3fi. 

52,  A  Free  Addrcfs  to  Frotcflant  Diffenters  as 
fuch.     By  a  Diifenter.     A  new  Edition,  enlarged 
and  corn! cied,  is.  6d. 

53.  A  Free  Addrcfi  to  thofe  who  petitioned  in 
1780  for  the  Repeal    of  a   late  A£t  of  Parliament 
in  favour  of  the  Roman  Gathclifs,  2d.  or  125.  per 
Hundred  to  give  away. 


PubliJIud  in  America. 

Obfervations  on  the  Doctrine  of  Phlogifton  and 
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Obfervations  on  the  Increafe  of  Infidelity  3d 
Edit.  50  cents. 

Letters  to  Mr.  Volney,  25  cents. 

An  Outline  of  the  Evidences  of  Revealed  Re- 
ligion, i2mo.  10  cents. 

Unitarianifm  explained,  and  defended,  in  a  Dif- 
courfe  delivered  at  Philadelphia,  A.  D.  1796,  25 
cents. 

An  Addrefs  to  the  Unitarian  Congregation  at 
Philadelphia,  25  cents. 

The  Cafe  of  the  Poor  Emigrants  recommended 
in  a  Difcourfe  delivered  at  Philadelphia,  A.  D. 
1797,  25  ceilts- 

Ready  for   Publication. 

A  Continuation  of  the  Authors  General  Hifto- 
ryof  the  Chriftian  Church,  from  the  Fall  of  the 
Weftern  Empire  to  the  prefent  time. 

Notes  on  all  the  Books  of  the  Old  and  New 
Teftaments, 


m 


BOOK  IS  DTTP 


602181 


F 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


